qué
See also: Appendix:Variations of "que"
Asturian edit
Etymology edit
Adverb edit
qué
- what (such)
Pronoun edit
qué
- (interrogative) what (interrogative pronoun)
Related terms edit
French edit
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
qué
Conjunction edit
qué
- (nonstandard) Alternative form of que (representing the Hispanic pronunciation) (clarification of this definition is needed)
Interjection edit
qué
- (Provence, Switzerland) Isn’t it? Is it not?
- (Provence) What?
Mandarin edit
Romanization edit
- Hanyu Pinyin reading of 瘸
Occitan edit
Etymology edit
From Old Occitan que, from Latin quid, but also usurping some of the roles of Latin quod.
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
qué
Pronoun edit
qué
Portuguese edit
Pronunciation edit
Interjection edit
qué
- Alternative form of quá quá
Spanish edit
Etymology edit
Pronunciation edit
- IPA(key): /ˈke/ [ˈke]
¿Qué [...]?: (file) ¿Qué!: (file) Audio: (file) - Rhymes: -e
- Syllabification: qué
- Homophone: que
Determiner edit
qué (interrogative)
- what; which (interrogative only)
- ¿Qué camisa quiere?
- Which shirt do you want?
- what; which
- No sabía qué hacer
- I didn't know what to do
Adverb edit
qué
- (before a noun) what a; such (used as an intensifier)
- ¡Qué lástima! ― What a pity!
- ¡Qué suerte! ― What luck!
- ¡Qué casa más bonita! ― What a pretty house!
- ¡Qué mierda de tiempo! ― What shitty weather!
- (before an adjective) how (used as a modifier to indicate surprise, delight, or other strong feelings)
- ¡Qué feo! ― How ugly!
- ¡Qué alto! ― He's so tall!
- ¡Qué guay! ― That's so cool!
Pronoun edit
qué
- what (interrogative only)
- ¿Qué ves? ― What do you see?
Usage notes edit
- There are certain times where cuál would translate as "what" in English and qué would translate as "which". This can confuse English speakers.
Here are some guidelines:
- If you are using a form of the verb ser, then unless you are asking the definition or meaning of something, you would use cuál even if in English, one would translate it as "what"
- ¿Cuál es su nombre?
- What is your name?
- ¿Cuál es el problema aquí?
- What is the problem here?
- If in English, the interrogative pronoun "what" or "which" is operating as an adjective preceding the modified noun, then you would use qué and not cuál even if in English you might translate it as "which"
- ¿Qué medicamentos ha tomado en el pasado, señor?
- Which medications have you taken in the past, sir?
- ¿Qué pobre señorita ha capturado tu corazón esta vez?
- Which poor young lady has captured your heart this time?
- ¿Qué color de la pintura prefieres para las paredes del baño, rosa o marrón?
- Which color of paint do you prefer for the bathroom walls, pink or brown?
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
See also edit
Further reading edit
- “qué”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014