qué tipo
/ke tipo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "what type" is translated into Spanish as qué tipo.
qué tipo is used to ask for the category or kind of something.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of qué (what) and tipo (type/kind).
Which one should you use?
A common synonym for qué tipo de is qué clase de. In most contexts, these two can be used interchangeably to ask about categories.
How does it change in a sentence?
When followed by a noun, qué tipo is almost always followed by the preposition de to mean "what type of".
How do you pronounce it?
/ke tipo/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly omit the de after qué tipo (e.g., saying qué tipo paella instead of qué tipo de paella).
Did you know?
- While qué tipo asks for a category, the word tipo on its own is often used as a slang term in Spain to mean 'guy' or 'fellow'.
- In some Latin American regions, tipo can be used as a filler word similar to 'like' in English, such as saying era tipo… to introduce a description.
- The word tipo shares an ancestor with the English word 'type', as both stem from the Greek word τύπος, which originally meant a 'mark' or 'impression' made by striking or poking.
Examples in context
- ¿Qué tipo de paella te gusta?What type of paella do you like?This sentence shows how to use qué tipo to ask about preferences regarding food.Tatoeba #6622400 by arh, translation #11354723 by magnificentgoddess
- ¿Qué tipo de método anticonceptivo usas?What type of birth control do you use?This sentence demonstrates asking about a specific category of birth control.Tatoeba #10111009 by manufrutos, translation #9982125 by NurseMeeks
- ¿Puedes adivinar qué tipo de restaurante era?Can you guess what type of restaurant it was?This sentence illustrates using qué tipo to identify the category of a restaurant.Tatoeba #1603684 by marcelostockle, translation #36772 by CK
- ¿Qué tipo de música le gusta?What type of music do you like?
- ¿Qué tipo de película te gusta?What type of movie do you like?
- ¿Qué tipo de comida prefieres?What type of food do you prefer?
- ¿Qué tipo de música escuchas?What type of music do you listen to?
- ¿Qué tipo de coche tienes?What type of car do you have?
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are at a music store.
- Alejandro¿Qué tipo de música te gusta?What type of music do you like?
- LucíaMe gusta mucho el jazz.I like jazz a lot.
- AlejandroA mí me encanta el rock.I love rock.
- LucíaEl rock es muy divertido.Rock is very fun.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries qué, tipo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
