Interrogative words are used to request specific information and are placed at the beginning of a question. In Spanish, they are: qué meaning what, cómo meaning how, quién meaning who, dónde meaning where, cuándo meaning when, cuánto, cuánta meaning how much, cuántos, cuántas meaning how many, and por qué meaning why.
Most of them have an exact equivalent in English, for instance: dónde = "where," but some of them can have more than one, like how cuál can be "what" or "which." Additionally, some interrogative words combine with prepositions to give different meanings.
Are you wondering: "¿Dónde puedo aprender sobre las palabras interrogativas? meaning Where can I learn about interrogative words?" The answer is here, so keep reading!
How do we use interrogatives in questions?
Interrogative words in Spanish are used very similarly to English interrogatives: they are placed at the beginning of a direct question:
Or they can be used in indirect questions:
To learn more about direct and indirect questions, and yes/no questions, head over to "How to build questions in Spanish?"
Now that we know the basics, let's see how to use each one!
‘¿Qué?’ (What?)
¿Qué? is the most common interrogative word and also the most versatile. The answer to these questions are a specific object, action, or definition.
| Structure | Asks for | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
¿Qué + noun? | An object/idea | ¿Qué equipo ganó el torneo? | Which team won the tournament? |
¿Qué + verb? | An object/idea An action | ¿Qué hiciste ayer? | What do you need to be happy? |
¿Qué + ser? | Definition | ¿Qué es un pronombre? | What is a pronoun? |
‘¿Cuál/cuáles?’ (What/which?)
¿Cuál? is used when there is a need to distinguish an item or person out of a group. It has a plural form ¿cuáles? that will agree with the plural noun it refers to.
Cuál can translate to “what” or “which (one),” depending on the structure it’s used in, so let’s break them down:
¿Cuál + ser?
The forms with the verb “to be” ¿Cuál es? and ¿Cuáles son? are used when the answer is a specific object or objects.¿Cuál es tu color favorito?Translation: What is your favorite color?In the example above we are asking to pinpoint the specific color out of all the colors that exist.
¿Cuál + other verbs?
These forms are used when the answer is a choice from a selection of things, this translates to “which one(s).”Entre café y té ¿cuál prefieres?Translation: Between coffee and tea, which one do you prefer?In the example above we are asking to pinpoint the specific color out of all the colors that exist.
¿Cuál + de + noun?
Cuál is usually followed by a verb, but the question cuál de is followed by a noun that is accompanied by a definite article or a demonstrative adjective. This expression is used to make a selection from a group of options that have been previously mentioned or are known in advance.¿Cuál de los/estos vestidos te gustó más?Translation: Which one of the/these dresses did you like better?There is previous knowledge of what dresses the question refers to: the dresses you tried on, the ones you saw in the store, etc.
Notice that cuál can also be translated as “what.” So, what is the difference with qué? To learn more about the difference between qué and cuál, click the link!
‘¿Quién/quiénes?’ (Who?)
¿Quién? is used when asking about a person and it has a plural form: quiénes to inquire about more than one person.
‘¿Dónde?’ (Where?)
¿Dónde? is used when asking about a place. It's always followed by a verb.
¿Adónde? (a + dónde) means "where to;" it is used to express directionality.
Keep reading to learn more about how prepositions combine with interrogative pronouns!
‘¿Cuándo?’ (When?)
¿Cuándo? is used when asking about time. It's followed by a verb.
‘¿Cómo?’ (How?)
¿Cómo? is used when asking about manner or procedure and is always followed by a verb. The answer explains the way in which the action is performed.
Un caracol camina lentamente. meaning How does a snail walk?
A snail walks slowly.¿Cómo envío un archivo desde mi teléfono? meaning How do I send a file from my phone?
‘¿Cuánto?’ (How many/much?)
¿Cuánto? asks about quantity or amount, and it can be used as an adjective, a pronoun, or an adverb.
As an adverb
When used as an adverb, it’s invariable (always cuánto) and it's followed by a verb.
¿Cuánto cuesta? meaning How much does it cost?As an adjective or pronoun
When used as an adjective or pronoun, cuánto has to agree in number and gender with the noun they modify or replace. Therefore, it has four forms: cuánto, cuánta, cuántos, and cuántas.
When followed by a noun it’s an adjective:
¿Cuántos hermanos tienes? meaning How many siblings do you have?¿Cuánta harina necesitas para el pastel? meaning How much flour do you need for the cake?And when followed by a verb, it’s a pronoun:
¿Cuántas hay? meaning How many are there?¿Cuántos llegaron? meaning How many arrived?Notice how the pronoun agrees in gender and number with the noun it’s replacing; even if it’s not there, it’s understood by context.
Tengo cuatro hermanas, ¿cuántas tienes tú?Translation: I have four sisters. How many do you have?
‘¿Por qué?’ (Why?)
¿Por qué? is used to ask for a reason or explanation:
When followed by no, it can be used to make invitations or suggestions:
How to use interrogatives with prepositions in Spanish?
Interrogatives can be used in combination with different prepositions: a meaning to, de meaning about, para meaning for, etc.
For example:
There are two types of combinations:
Verbs with preposition
There are verbs that come with a preposition, for example: jugar a meaning to play, olvidarse de meaning to forget. If the preposition can be followed by a noun, you ask a question by placing the preposition before the interrogative word.
Ex: pensar en… meaning to think about
¿En quién piensas?Translation: Who are you thinking about?¿En qué piensas?Translation: What are you thinking about?Preposition + interrogative combos
Some interrogatives combine with certain prepositions to make more specific questions:
¿De dónde vienen? meaning Where are you coming from?¿Desde cuándo hablas español? meaning Since when do you speak Spanish?Qué, cuál, and quién can combine with almost all prepositions, whereas cuándo typically combines with Spanish prepositions of time and dónde with Spanish prepositions of place.
For a list of possible combos, check out this list of Spanish prepositions use with interrogative words!
To sum up
Interrogative words come at the beginning of a question and they are used to ask for specific information or a definition.
They always have an accent mark and in direct questions they have two question marks: ¿?.
Qué, dónde, cuándo, cómo, and por qué are invariable.
Cuál and quién have plural forms: cuáles, quiénes.
Cuánto(s) and cuánta(s) can function like an adjective or pronoun and so it has to agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies.
Question words can combine with prepositions, and unlike English, they are always placed before the interrogative word.
Where can you practice the use of these interrogatives? Here!
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