Asking questions in Spanish might feel hard when you’re first starting. But it is very similar to how you ask questions in English. If you wish to learn about Spanish question words, you’re in the right place!
In this article, you’ll get a chance to learn the 8 question words of the Spanish language, how to use them, and see example sentences.
Are you ready? Let’s go!
What Are Spanish Question Words?
One of the first things you learn in Spanish is the interrogatives, A.K.A. question words.
These are the words or phrases used to form questions in Spanish. Learning these early on will help you get a broader understanding of the Spanish language, and it will widen your vocabulary.
The Question Marks and Accents
One of the biggest differences between Spanish and English is the punctuation marks. When asking questions, you’ll realize that the first difference shows up at the beginning of a sentence.
Spanish has opening and closing question marks (¿?). You place one at the beginning of the sentence and one at the end.
Another important part is the accent. All Spanish question words must have an accent mark in order to understand that a question is being asked.
The 8 Spanish Question Words
1. ¿Qué? — What?
This is the most common question word in Spanish. In fact, it is one of the most common Spanish words overall.
Examples:
¿Qué es esto? (What is this?)
¿Qué quieres? (What do you want?)
¿Qué libro estás leyendo? (What book are you reading?)
¿Qué hiciste ayer? (What did you do yesterday?)
2. ¿Quién? / ¿Quiénes? — Who?
These are other very popular Spanish words. Quién is the singular form and Quiénes is the plural.
Examples:
¿Quién eres? (Who are you?)
¿Quién llama? (Who is calling?)
¿Quiénes son ellos? (Who are they?)
3. ¿Cuándo? — When?
This one is an easy one, it doesn’t change with context. If you want to ask When in Spanish, use Cuándo.
Examples:
¿Cúando es tu cumpleaños? (When is your birthday?)
¿Cúando volverás? (When will you be back?)
¿Cuándo vienen tus padres? (When are your parents coming?)
¿Cuándo quieres ir? (When do you want to go?)
4. ¿Dónde? — Where?
If you’re traveling in a Spanish-speaking country, then this question word will be very useful for you.
Examples:
¿Dónde estoy? (Where am I?)
¿Dónde está el aeropuerto? (Where is the airport?)
¿Dónde estás? (Where are you?)
¿Dónde comprase esa camisa? (Where did you buy that shirt?)
5. ¿Cómo? — How?
You’ve probably already used this one. When you want to ask How you use Cómo. It will never modify a noun.
Cómo may also be translated into What, in some cases.
Examples:
¿Cómo estás? (How are you?)
¿Cómo te llamas? (What is your name?)
¿Cómo se dice eso en español? (How do you say that in Spanish?)
¿Cómo es posible eso? (How is that possible?
6. ¿Por qué? — Why?
This one might be a bit confusing because the question word and the answer phrase are very similar.
Use Por Qué, with the space, to ask Why. Use Porque, together, to answer.
Examples:
¿Por qué estás aquí? (Why are you here?)
Porque tengo clase. (Becuase I have class.)
¿Por qué no quieres comer? (Why don’t you want to eat?)
Porque no me siento bien. (Because I don’t feel good.)
¿Por qué estás callado? (Why are you quiet?)
Porque estoy pensando. (Because I’m thinking.)
7. ¿Cuánto? / ¿Cuántos? — How Much? / How Many?
This question word in Spanish will change depending on the genre of the subject. Use Cuánto for masculine, and Cuánta for feminine.
Additionally, it also has singular and plural forms. Cuántos for masculine and Cuántas for feminine.
Examples:
¿Cúanto pagaste por el libro? (How much did you pay for the book?)
¿Cuánta harina utilizaste? (How much flour did you use?)
¿Cúantos quieres? (How many do you want?)
¿Cuántas páginas leíste? (How many pages did you read?)
8. ¿Cuál? / ¿Cuáles? — Which?
This Spanish question word has a singular and plural form. Use the plural, Cuáles, when asking about more than one thing.
Cuál may also be used for What questions.
Examples:
¿Cúal es tu nombre? (What’s your name?)
¿Cúal quieres? (Which one do you want?)
¿Cuáles zapatos te gustan? (Which shoes do you like?)
Ask Questions in Spanish!
Now that you know all the question words in Spanish, you can start using them.
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