Question Words
Ask anything, anywhere — master the interrogatives that unlock every conversation.
Question words are among the first things you learn in any language — and for good reason. Being able to ask "where?", "how much?", and "what time?" opens up an enormous range of conversations even at a very early stage. In Spanish, all question words carry a written accent mark (¿Qué? ¿Dónde? ¿Cuándo?) which distinguishes them from their connector counterparts: que (that), donde (where), cuando (when).
Two words that trip up English speakers most: ¿Cuál? vs ¿Qué? — both can mean "what?" in English, but in Spanish, cuál is used when selecting from options (¿Cuál es tu apellido? — What's your surname?), while qué asks for definitions or explanations (¿Qué es esto? — What is this?). And ¿Por qué? (why? — two words) vs porque (because — one word) is a distinction worth memorizing early.
This guide covers 12 essential question words and phrases, each with a usage note and a real-life example. Learn these and you'll be able to construct basic questions in almost any situation. Key tip: All Spanish question words carry an accent mark when used in a question — without it, the meaning changes completely.
| Spanish | English | When to use it | Real-life Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¿Qué? | What? | Asks about things, actions, or definitions. The most versatile question word. | ¿Qué quieres comer? What do you want to eat? |
| ¿Quién? / ¿Quiénes? | Who? | Asks about a person or people. Use quiénes for plural. | ¿Quién es tu profesor? Who is your teacher? |
| ¿Dónde? | Where? | Asks about a location. Combine with 'a' (adónde) for destination. | ¿Dónde está el hotel? Where is the hotel? |
| ¿Cuándo? | When? | Asks about time — a moment, date, or duration. | ¿Cuándo sale el tren? When does the train leave? |
| ¿Cómo? | How? / What? | Asks about manner, state, or name. Also used as '¿Cómo?' to ask someone to repeat. | ¿Cómo te llamas? What is your name? (lit. How are you called?) |
| ¿Cuánto/a? | How much? | Asks about quantity or price. Agrees in gender: cuánto (m) / cuánta (f). | ¿Cuánto cuesta esto? How much does this cost? |
| ¿Cuántos/as? | How many? | Plural form of cuánto. Agrees in gender with the noun. | ¿Cuántos años tienes? How old are you? (lit. How many years do you have?) |
| ¿Por qué? | Why? | Asks for a reason or cause. Always written as two words in a question. Answer uses 'porque' (one word). | ¿Por qué estudias español? Why are you studying Spanish? |
| ¿Cuál? / ¿Cuáles? | Which? / What? | Used to choose from a set of options. More common than 'qué' before 'es' in Spanish. | ¿Cuál es tu número de teléfono? What is your phone number? |
| ¿De dónde? | Where from? | Asks about origin or nationality. Essential for introductions. | ¿De dónde eres? Where are you from? |
| ¿A qué hora? | At what time? | Asks the specific time of an event or activity. | ¿A qué hora empieza la clase? At what time does the class start? |
| ¿Para qué? | What for? / Why? | Asks about the purpose or goal of an action, not just the cause. | ¿Para qué necesitas dinero? What do you need money for? |
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