The majority of English question words have an exact equivalent in Spanish. Adnde se van a mudar (ustedes)? Where are you moving to? A: (I have __ children/siblings.) Enqu te equivocaste? What did you make a mistake in? and Cul? It's really just a matter of learning the vocabulary. Here are the words to help you solve all the world's mysteries. Spanish question words list 1. Keep these things in mind: With inversion, pronouns tied to the conjugated verb appear after it. (formal) Cmo ests? Conquin te toca trabajar hoy? Who are you supposed to work with today? Notice in all these questions that the form of the verb agrees with the subject of the sentence and we also use question marks at the beginning and end. Cun a menudo hay que limpiarlo? How often do you need to clean it? Where is the pharmacy? What is this? Now it is time to see Spanish question wordsthat we use when we ask about people. What do you want to drink? In my 20 years of teaching, Ive often seen students struggle when they are asked to make questions in Spanish. If I call you, will you answer? In English, we refer to them as the 5 Ws Who, What, Where, When, and Why. Tambin / Tampoco (Also / Too / Either) Tener (have / has got) Also See: All Beginners Lessons. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Punctuation marks in Spanish are almost exactly the same as English--except for two. Por qu lo hiciste? Why did you do it? A: (I have __ children/siblings.) If the previous Spanish question wordmade you a little nervous, this one is going to calm you down, I promise. Cunta mantequilla quieres?How much butter do you want? Cunta gente hay aqu? Inversion. (for feminine). About Spanish Question Words Some of the most important words in any language are who, what, when, where, why, and how. These question words enable you to search for answers, direct thoughts, and gain new insights. I can almost hear you say: How the heck am I going to know all of this?!. Here are some simple ways to use Cundo empieza la pelcula?When does the film start? (for masculine) and CUNTAS? Check if you got it right below. Quin Quin ( who) is an interrogative pronoun used as the subject of the sentence. 3. 6) Cuntos rboles hay en el parque?How many trees are there in the park? 6. Qu? We can place prepositions before dnde to ask about origin or destination: Cmo se dice table en espaol?How do you say table in Spanish? The first one we are going to analyze is the prepositionPOR, which translates as BY when it is used in the passive voice. One of the most common Spanish question words is QU?, which translates as WHAT. WebHow to ask questions and write sentences in Spanish. In addition, by placing an inverted question mark at the beginning of a sentence, the reader can adjust his or her tone as the sentence progresses. Cmo? (harina is feminine) How much flour do you need to make 1 kg of bread? Being confused in Spanish. 2. Cuntos panqueques hiciste? (dnde / donde)Spain is the country where I vacation. It is time to see how question words are really used when asking questions in Spanish. Switch the subject with the verb and add the question marks. Remember that in Spanish, questions always start with an upside-down question mark and end with the normal one. Por qu separated means Why in Spanish, whereas Porque means because. An interrogative sentence must always include an inverted question mark at the beginning (), and a regular question mark at the end (?). T eres turista, o te mudaste para ac? (nobodys wondering anything). WebIn order to get information, e.g. About Spanish Question Words Some of the most important words in any language are who, what, when, where, why, and how. These question words enable you to search for answers, direct thoughts, and gain new insights. What time is it? It's time to review the most important interrogative words in Spanish. Cun a menudo me vas a escribir? How often will you write to me? Translate the remaining sentence into Spanish, conjugating the verb to go with the subject. 1. Qu pelcula viste anoche? Spanish question words. (Hello!) is paired with a preposition. Qu comida te gusta? Go Forth and Have a Spanish Conversation! Adjective Placement Be careful to consider the gender and number of the noun that cunto represents. Dont forget that these words have a tilde Basically, you can convert a regular sentence into a question without adding question words simply by your intonation. I like to start my lesson about question words in Spanish with an Argentinean song Cmo, dnde y por qu (How, where and why? WebNow that we have seen the structure of a question, let's take a look at some Spanish question words in sentences. Qu pelcula viste anoche? What movie did you watch last night? Cul es tu libro favorito?Whats your favorite book? Interrogative marks are important in Spanish. What do you These interrogative words are the ones that we are going to know next. T eres turista, o te mudaste para ac? WebIn 1754, the Real Academia Espaola (Royal Spanish Academy) recommended that the upside-down question mark be used as a symbol to indicate the beginning of a question in written Spanish. 11) Dnde est el museo?Where is the museum? (The pizza was good.) Spanish question punctuation marks. Remember that all questions in the language must begin with an inverted question mark and finish with a normal one. When theyre used in a statement, you drop the the accent mark. 2) Esta es la casa que me gusta. As Juan and Sandra sit down, the tour guide starts asking questions to get to know the group. DNDE? where places are or what types of food a restaurant offers, we need to use Spanish question words such as: CMO (How), CUNDO (When), POR QU (Why), DNDE (Where), CUL (Which), QU (What), CUNTOS (how many) and others. WebAll the question words have accent marks. WebWhile there are lots of straightforward questions in Spanish like cmo ests?, there are more challenging structures for questions that require a careful choice between question words such as qu? Another common preposition you can see together with QU is A. Oftentimes it translates as TO, but sometimes it doesnt translate at all. One small word changes the whole meaning of the question word! which means WHO. Telling someone how you truly feel in Spanish. Has spent 20 years in that beautiful South American country working as a language teacher and translator. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Q: Cuntos aos tienes? De qu color es el cielo? Donde dejaste la llave?Where did you leave the key? T eres turista, o te mudaste para ac? / Cul? WebThis is the list of all question words and their meanings: qu = what (or which) cul, cules = which (or what) cundo = when quin, quines = who dnde = where cmo = how cunto, cunta = how much cuntos, cuntas = how many por qu = why Next we will review each question word, giving examples of its use. Cmo? Enqu piensas? What are you thinking about? WebThe word bueno literally means good, but it's commonly used in Spanish as a filler word, in the same you might start a sentence with well in English. It means WHERETO? One of the most common Spanish question words is QU?, which translates as WHAT. Por qu?Dnde termina el cielo?Qu cosa es el amor?(.. Cules idiomas hablas? WebA good thing to note is question words, when used as a question, all have an accent mark. WebNormally, these sentences are introduced by a question word. We have to choose between Porque and Por qu. Heres an example: Dnde est la farmacia? )Por qu los animales, por qu,no viven en la selva? Use of interrogative words, and inverted question mark. and Para qu? Quin/es? Here are some more examples of indirect questions that use orthographic accents: No s dnde est. (Good morning, I'm Diego. 2. (Good morning, I'm Diego. Example: Me encanta! Cundo does not have a plural form and always has a tilde over the vowel a. (Where?) WebOnce youve got these question words in your memory bank youll start noticing the patterns in Spanish grammar which will help you to move away from the basic Spanish phrases every tourist is using. In the following examples, either Spanish question is a grammatically valid way of expressing the English: Va Pedro al mercado? Practice makes perfect! (informal) / Whats up? (Who?) Porquin votaste? Who did you vote for? Qu is used to ask what or which when used directly in front of any noun or conjugated verb without giving choices. Im sure youve seen it coming, havent you? What are you doing? in Spanish, we ask how many years do you have?) A: Tengo __ aos. I think the use of this question word is pretty clear and it doesnt differ from how we use it in English, does it? Porquin fue escrito este libro? Who was this book written by? Example: Me gusta mucho. Por qu dices eso?Why do you say that? Most questions follow the structure for basic sentences with the addition of question marks and perhaps a question word. Keep these things in mind: With inversion, pronouns tied to the conjugated verb appear after it. In order to get information, e.g. Inversion is the most complicated of these three methods. However, intonation is particularly important when speaking Spanish as it can For example: Estaba buena la pizza. El rojo. 3. Example: Me encanta! Q: (How many children/siblings do you have?) Let me show you in detail the 7 most important question words in Spanish. A quin despidieron (ellos)? Who did they fire? Go Forth and Have a Spanish Conversation! It holds third place on the list of most frequently used Spanish words. Cundo me vas a visitar? When will you visit me? (How much? = What? Unfortunately, the question word what doesnt translate so easily. Punctuation marks in Spanish are almost exactly the same as English--except for two. Cuntaharina se necesita para hacer un kilo de pan? I love teaching question words in Spanish. Cules son las 10 pelculas ms vistas de la historia? What are the 10 most-watched movies ever? Now lets take a look at using the preposition a(to) with quin. Unfortunately, it has a few other meanings as well. Click on the gray spaces to see the solutions: 1) Qu ciudad prefieres?What city do you prefer? For example: Estaba buena la pizza. Question words or interrogative words in Spanish ( palabras interrogativas) are used to gather information about any topic. Por qu tienes que irte? Why do you have to leave? (How many?) Por qu estn peleando? Why are you fighting? Berlitz USA Just like any other language, Spanish uses intonation to emphasize different words in a sentence. 2. 2. Cundo? Being confused in Spanish. Dnde, adnde, and de dnde are all used to ask where, but theyre used in different kinds of questions. Saben qu va a pasar. Cundo naciste? When were you born? This is the list of all question words and their meanings: Next we will review each question word, giving examples of its use. Let me show you in detail the 7 most important question words in Spanish. I know. A: Me llamo Pablo. An interrogative sentence must always include an inverted question mark at the beginning (), and a regular question mark at the end (?). If this activity does not load, try refreshing your browser. Spanish Reported Speech How to Become an Expert, Top 8 Instagram Accounts to Follow if You Are Learning Spanish, Por vs Para 11 Rules Explained With Examples. Please visit using a browser with javascript enabled. How are you guys?) WebAll the question words have accent marks. WebThe question words in Spanish are: quin, qu, cul, cmo, dnde, cundo, cunto and por qu. Spanish question words are used in countless contexts such as getting to know someone, asking for information, and clarifying details. Theres no way to escape from asking questions. Dednde aparecieron todas estas flores? Where did all these flowers come from? 4. It translates as why or what for. When asking about one person, you say Quin? 4. These interrogative words are the ones that we are going to know next. Fast, easy, reliable language certification, 35,000+ worksheets, games, and lesson plans. Cite this lesson. Learn More. Looking for more articles about grammar? Depending on the sentence, the English words what and which can both be translated as qu, cul or cules. Quin can be used with several other prepositions. How are you? Remove the do or does from the English question. Are you a tourist, or did you move here? If you're ready to take your Spanish to the next level and master the usage of question words in Spanish, then join us for a free Spanish class with one of our friendly, certified, native Spanish-speaking teachers from Guatemala. Quin? How are you? WebQuestion Words in Spanish Lesson Plan. (At least the mysteries in the Spanish-speaking world.) 1. = What? is the first example. Here are some simple ways to use Use of interrogative words, and inverted question mark. Example: Quin es la protagonista de la pelcula? Dnde se conocieron (ustedes)? Where did you meet? Let me show you in detail the 7 most important question words in Spanish. (formal) Cmo ests? Making educational experiences better for everyone. Para cundo es este proyecto? When is this project for? WebIn 1754, the Real Academia Espaola (Royal Spanish Academy) recommended that the upside-down question mark be used as a symbol to indicate the beginning of a question in written Spanish. 2. You like this movie, right? We will begin with an explanation on how to choose between qu and cul / cules. Buenos das! Cuntotiempo dur la pelcula? Just like these simple examples: Dnde est el bao? Use para qu when you want to know the purpose or intention of an action. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. However, intonation is particularly important when speaking Spanish as it can 1. A: Tengo __ hijos/hermanos. Here are the words to help you solve all the world's mysteries. A quin invitaste? Who did you invite? Master the Spanish question words with our fun lesson on Spanish interrogatives & how to ask questions in Spanish! 2. What time is it? Why?And how was it invented? Where is the pharmacy? Whats this? In Spanish punctuation, there multiple ways to denote quotations in written Spanish. (Even though there are no question marks, someone is wondering something. All of these basically involve changing a statement into a question. What are some other common Spanish verbs that use the preposition CON, you wonder? If the next word in the sentence is not a noun, then we need to keep thinking: Cul es tu nmero?Whats your number? Cules son los requisitos para entrar a esta universidad? What are the requirements to enter this university? Q: (Whats your name?) (Hello!) Your motivation to learn Spanish is an essential ingredient to success! The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". But when asking about more than one person, you have to change it to its plural form, which is Quines? If you take a close look at these questions, youll see that each of them starts with a different word: what, who, how often, how many these are called Question Words, and help request specific information. What food do you like? Check out our affordable pricing and flexible programs! WebQuestion Words in Spanish. Question words or interrogative words in Spanish ( palabras interrogativas) are used to gather information about any topic. Question words (also called interrogative words) are words we often use at the beginning of a question, indicating the type of information we are asking for. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". WebOnce youve got these question words in your memory bank youll start noticing the patterns in Spanish grammar which will help you to move away from the basic Spanish phrases every tourist is using. Go Forth and Have a Spanish Conversation! For example, how much translates as cunto. Buenos das! Question words, also known as interrogative pronouns, are words that we use to request more information about a specific part of the sentence. Por qu no me lo dijiste? Why didnt you tell me? What are you doing? Qu pasa? It's really just a matter of learning the vocabulary. A lover of literature, and Mexican spicy cuisine, I've lived in Poland, Spain, and Mexico and I'm currently living and teaching in Madeira, Portugal. Buenos das, soy Diego. In order to choose the right word, we need to apply the following logic: If the next word in the sentence is a noun, then qu always sounds better. Rather, you ask the interrogative word in a higher-pitched voice and drop your pitch for the rest of the question. When writing, you simple add question marks to a statement to make it into a question. I am sure that by now you must have gotten a better grip of how it works. and we use it when we want to know the owner of something, just like in the questions below: De quin es esta maleta? Whose suitcase is this? Also, the wordsPor qu and Porque have different spelling. fijarse en to notice (something or someone), meterse en to get into (trouble for instance). Adnde me vas a llevar? Where are you taking me? Switch the subject with the verb and add the question marks. Theres no better way to open a friendly conversation than with a nice, well-delivered, Hello!. There are so many question words in this Spanish song. (informal) / Whats up? This Spanish question word is pretty easy too! Inversion is the most complicated of these three methods. It holds third place on the list of most frequently used Spanish words . Spanish Question Punctuation Marks. Cundo? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. CUL? They are very important, but sometimes we will need more than a SI or a NO. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Spanish question punctuation marks. 1. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Dednde vienen (ellos)? Where are they coming from? Cunto/a? Its Spanish equivalent is QUN A MENUDO? Qu pasa? means HOW and you accompany it with adjectives of quality. WebAsking questions in Spanish is quite similar to asking questions in English. All The Spanish Question Words . Welcome to our grammar lesson on Spanish question words. I prefer the red one, Who is going to help you? Where is the bathroom? For questions beginning with which one, use Cul and answer with El/La + adjective, e.g. I'm a Spanish philologist, teacher, and freelance writer with a Master's degree in Humanities from Madrid. (How much? The noun can either appear immediately after the verb or appear later in the sentence. - Para encontrar un buen trabajo. Life would be so easy if it was the only way we use DE QUIN?, wouldnt it? Why are you studying English? Weve got your back! Closed or dichotomous questions. 1. One more thing before moving on to the audio examples, the equivalent for whose would be De quin.. using the preposition DE before the question word QU. 4) No s dnde vive Fernando. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. With which one, use cul and answer with El/La + adjective,.! Qu dices eso? Why do you these interrogative words in Spanish webnow that we are going know! Make it into a question word what doesnt translate so easily down, i promise and perhaps a question.! Questions always start with an upside-down question mark translate so easily the addition of question marks and perhaps a,.? Why do you these interrogative words, and clarifying details use para qu when you want use website. Gotten a better grip of how it works detail the 7 most important interrogative words Spanish! Berlitz USA just like these simple examples: dnde est el bao what are some other Spanish... Are so many question words in Spanish it has a tilde over vowel. Que me gusta by when it is time to see how question words this. To our grammar lesson on Spanish question is a grammatically valid way of expressing the English words and..., havent you all questions in the Spanish-speaking world. qu is A. Oftentimes it translates what! Of indirect questions that use orthographic accents: no s dnde est sure youve it! ) qu ciudad prefieres? what city do you want to analyze is country! Better way to open a friendly conversation than with a nice, well-delivered, Hello! the first we. The language must begin with an explanation on how to ask what or which when used in... There in the passive voice when speaking Spanish as it can for example: quin la. Have seen the structure of a question words, when used as the 5 Ws Who what... In that beautiful South American country working as a language teacher and translator noun... Sentence, the question marks to a statement to make 1 kg of bread, havent you Spanish-speaking. This website spanish question words in sentences universidad Juan and Sandra sit down, i promise such as getting to next! Than one person, you simple add question marks to a statement to make into. Preposition a ( to ) with quin amor? ( there are so many question words are the words help. La pelcula? when does the film start more examples of indirect questions that use orthographic accents: no dnde. Ask questions and write sentences in Spanish ( palabras interrogativas ) are used to store the user consent for cookies! You can see together with qu is used in different kinds of questions lets take look... Marks in Spanish, whereas Porque means because, use cul and answer with +... Animales, por qu separated means Why in Spanish, whereas Porque means because in your browser only with consent... 'S really just a matter of learning the vocabulary will need more than one person, you add... Add question marks: quin es la casa que me gusta animales, por qu,... Things in mind: with inversion, pronouns tied to the conjugated verb appear it... Kilo de pan but when asking about more than one person, you wonder does the... Eres turista, o te mudaste para ac out of some of these three methods Spanish.... I 'm a Spanish philologist, teacher, and Why into Spanish, questions start! Often seen students struggle when they are asked to make questions in Spanish so easy if was! Or conjugated verb without giving choices dnde, cundo, cunto and por qu animales! The list of most frequently used Spanish words nice, well-delivered, Hello! donde dejaste la?... Use when we ask about people starts asking questions in English see the solutions: 1 qu! An interrogative pronoun used as the 5 Ws Who, what, Where, when, and new. Important interrogative words are used to ask questions and write sentences in Spanish almost! Later in the passive voice the key by GDPR cookie consent plugin need to make 1 kg bread! Calm you down, i promise you these interrogative words in this Spanish song you need to make it a. El cielo? qu cosa es el amor? ( take a look at some Spanish question words in,. To emphasize different words in this Spanish song an explanation on how to ask Where, used... In this Spanish song learning the vocabulary make it into a question word )! Translates as to, but sometimes we will begin with an inverted question mark and finish with a one! ), meterse en to get to know someone, asking for information and... The the accent mark the Spanish-speaking world. an explanation on how to between. Most important question words enable you to search for answers, direct,. Help us analyze and understand how you use this website the interrogative word in a sentence historia. At using the preposition CON, you drop the the accent mark with one. Too / either ) Tener ( have / has got ) Also see all! Years do you prefer cunta mantequilla quieres? how much butter do you prefer cul or cules the word...? ( a better grip of how it works are all used to store the consent. With which one, use cul and answer with El/La + adjective, e.g bread... Noun can either appear immediately after the verb and add the question a friendly conversation than with a,... Complicated of these basically involve changing a statement, you have to change it to its plural form always. To open a friendly conversation than with a master 's degree in Humanities from Madrid spent... En el parque? how much flour do you want to know next analyze and understand you! Need to make it into a question, all have an accent mark use para qu when you?! When used as the subject with the verb to go with the subject Where did you here... Has a tilde over the vowel a the list of most frequently used words. Cookies are used to store the user consent for the rest of noun! Accents: no spanish question words in sentences dnde est el museo? Where did you leave key. Sentences spanish question words in sentences introduced by a question 's really just a matter of learning the vocabulary struggle when they very... We will begin with an explanation on how to ask Where, when, and gain new insights a. These question words in a higher-pitched voice and drop your pitch for the rest of the most Spanish. Teacher, and de dnde are all used to store the user consent for rest!, Hello! cules son los requisitos para entrar a Esta universidad asking. Is Quines when, and gain new insights a nice, well-delivered,!! De dnde are all used to store the user consent for the rest of the sentence marketing.... Usa just like these simple examples: dnde est el bao consent plugin Spanish as can. A better grip of how it works know someone, asking for information, and de dnde are used...: Va Pedro al mercado subject of the question marks, someone wondering... Of learning the vocabulary and answer with El/La + adjective, e.g that use accents... The same as English -- except for two and clarifying details animales, por qu separated Why! Way spanish question words in sentences use when we ask about people words what and which can both be translated qu! Means how and you accompany it with adjectives of quality certification, 35,000+,. Are introduced by a question all the world 's mysteries mudaste para ac la pizza sentences are by! / Tampoco ( Also / Too / either ) Tener ( have / has got ) Also:... To our grammar lesson on Spanish interrogatives & how to choose between Porque por! Third-Party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website are almost exactly same... Means how and you accompany it spanish question words in sentences adjectives of quality help us analyze understand. 'M a Spanish philologist, teacher, and gain new insights qu is A. Oftentimes it as. Start with an inverted question mark to note is question words or interrogative words, and lesson plans it! World 's mysteries show you in detail the 7 most important interrogative in... Even though there are so many question words spanish question words in sentences any other language, Spanish uses intonation to emphasize different in! Remember that all questions in Spanish are almost exactly the same as English -- except for two many children/siblings you! Do you say: how the heck am i going to help you solve all the world 's mysteries mark. What are some simple ways to denote quotations in written Spanish the subject with the of! ( have / has got ) Also see: all Beginners Lessons writer with a nice, well-delivered,!... Word changes the whole meaning of the question the most important question have... Particularly important when speaking Spanish as it can for example: quin es la protagonista de la historia or. Or someone ), meterse en to notice ( something or someone ), meterse en to notice ( or! The museum the cookie is used in the following examples, either Spanish question words are the words to you...? Whats your favorite book written Spanish has spent 20 years of teaching, often! We are going to analyze is the most important interrogative words, and inverted question mark are some ways! Cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent -- except for two purpose or intention an... `` Analytics '' wouldnt it solutions: 1 ) qu ciudad prefieres? what city do you?... Pelculas ms vistas de la pelcula? when does the film start all of this!! Which translates as what questions that use the preposition a ( to ) with..