¿Quién preguntó?
The English phrase "who asked?" is translated into Spanish as ¿Quién preguntó?
This phrase is used as a dismissive rhetorical question to imply that the person speaking is providing unsolicited information.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ¿Quién preguntó? is a literal translation of "who asked?", consisting of the interrogative pronoun quién (who) and the third-person singular preterite form of preguntar (to ask).
Which one should you use?
You may also hear ¿Y eso a quién le interesa?, which translates to "And who is interested in that?" Adding the indirect object pronoun to the form ¿Quién te preguntó? makes the phrase more direct and personal, often used in more aggressive or blunt informal confrontations.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
¿Quién preguntó? is an informal way to say "who asked?" For a formal alternative, you can use ¿Quién ha solicitado esta información?, which translates to "Who has requested this information?"
Did you know?
- The word quién shares an ancient ancestor with the English word 'who', both tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root '*kʷos'.
- In some Latin American youth slang, the sentiment of ¿Quién preguntó? is expressed through the word Irrelevante ('Irrelevant') spoken with a specific sarcastic tone.
- The verb preguntar is used here for 'asking a question', but it is distinct from pedir, which is used when 'asking for' a favor or an object.
Examples in context
- No dije nada, ¿quién preguntó?I didn't say anything, who asked?
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are arguing about a movie.
- LucíaEsa película es realmente aburrida.That movie is really boring.
- MateoA mí me pareció increíble.I thought it was incredible.
- Lucía¿Quién preguntó?Who asked?
- MateoSolo estoy dando mi punto de vista, Lucía.I'm just giving my point of view, Lucía.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries quién, CC BY-SA 4.0.
