A1 Questions & Negation 13 min read Easy

Spanish Question Words: What, Who, Where (qué, quién, dónde)

Always add accent marks to Spanish question words and use both opening and closing question marks.
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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Spanish question words always carry an accent mark and start with an inverted question mark (¿) at the beginning of the sentence.

  • Always use an inverted question mark (¿) at the start: ¿Qué haces?
  • Question words (qué, quién, dónde) always have a written accent: ¿Dónde vives?
  • Question words come before the verb in simple questions: ¿Quién es él?
¿ + [Question Word] + [Verb] + [Subject] + ?

Overview

In Spanish, asking questions that require more than a simple "yes" or "no" answer hinges on a specific set of words known as palabras interrogativas, or interrogative words. These are the tools you use to request specific information, such as who someone is, what something is, or where something is located. For an A1 learner, mastering qué (what), quién (who), and dónde (where) is the foundational step to engaging in meaningful conversation.

Every Spanish interrogative word has a defining feature: an orthographic accent mark, or tilde, when used in a question or an exclamation (e.g., qué, dónde). This accent is not for decoration; it is a critical grammatical signal. It visually distinguishes the question word from its nearly identical unaccented sibling, which serves a different function in a sentence.

For example, donde (without an accent) means "where" in a statement like, "This is the house where I live" (Esta es la casa donde vivo), while ¿dónde? (with an accent) asks the question, "Where do you live?" (¿Dónde vives?).

These words are the building blocks of inquiry. They allow you to navigate the world, gather information, and show curiosity. While this guide focuses on the core trio of qué, quién, and dónde, it will also cover their essential counterparts (cuál, cuándo, cómo, cuánto, and por qué) to provide a complete reference.

Understanding this group of words is understanding how to unlock new information in Spanish.

How This Grammar Works

The system of Spanish question words operates on a few clear principles. The most important is the function of the accent mark. Secondly, some words change their form to agree with the noun they refer to, while others are invariable.
Finally, they typically appear at the very beginning of the sentence, immediately following the unique inverted question mark (¿).
The Accent Rule: The tilde is mandatory on all interrogative words when they are part of a direct question (¿Qué es eso?) or an indirect question (No sé qué es eso). This visual cue immediately signals the word's function. The accent does not fundamentally change the pronunciation but is a strict rule of spelling and grammar that alters the word's meaning.
| Accented (Question) | Meaning | Unaccented (Statement) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| qué | what | que | that, which |
| quién | who | quien | who, whom |
| dónde | where | donde | where |
Variable vs. Invariable Words: Some interrogatives adapt based on what you are asking about. Others remain fixed.
  • Invariable: Words like qué (what), dónde (where), cómo (how), and cuándo (when) never change their form. They are the same regardless of whether the subject is singular, plural, masculine, or feminine. For example, ¿Dónde está el hotel? (singular) and ¿Dónde están los hoteles? (plural) both use dónde.
  • Variable: Words like quién (who) and cuánto (how much/many) must agree in number (singular/plural) with the noun they modify or refer to. Quién becomes quiénes when you are asking about more than one person. Cuánto changes for both number and gender (cuánto, cuánta, cuántos, cuántas).
Sentence Position: The interrogative word almost always begins the question, right after the ¿. This front-loading of the key question element makes Spanish inquiries direct and easy to parse for the listener. The standard structure is ¿Interrogative + Verb + Subject?, though the subject is often omitted if it's clear from the verb's conjugation.

Formation Pattern

1
Constructing a question with an interrogative word follows a reliable pattern. Once you learn the formula, you can apply it to any of the question words. The key is to place the interrogative word first, followed by the verb, which is often inverted with the subject.
2
The Basic Formula:
3
¿ + Question Word + Verb + (Optional: Subject) + (Optional: Remainder of sentence) + ?
4
Here is the primary lineup of Spanish interrogative words:
5
| Interrogative | English Meaning | Form Changes? |
6
|---|---|---|
7
| qué | What / Which | No |
8
| quién / quiénes | Who | Yes (Number) |
9
| dónde | Where | No |
10
| cuál / cuáles | Which (one/s) | Yes (Number) |
11
| cuándo | When | No |
12
| cómo | How | No |
13
| cuánto / a/os/as| How much / How many | Yes (Number & Gender) |
14
| por qué | Why | No |
15
Examples of the Formation Pattern:
16
With qué: ¿Qué es eso? (What is that?) Here, qué is followed by the verb es.
17
With quién: ¿Quién es el presidente? (Who is the president?) For a plural subject, it changes: ¿Quiénes son los jugadores? (Who are the players?).
18
With dónde: ¿Dónde vive tu hermana? (Where does your sister live?)
19
Using Prepositions with Question Words:
20
In Spanish, if a verb requires a preposition, that preposition must come before the interrogative word. This is a major structural difference from English, where the preposition can sometimes end the sentence.
21
¿De dónde eres? (Where are you from?) The preposition de (from) precedes dónde.
22
¿Con quién hablas? (Who are you talking with?) The preposition con (with) precedes quién.
23
¿A dónde vas? (Where are you going to?) The preposition a (to) precedes dónde to indicate direction or destination.
24
This pattern, Preposition + Question Word, is a fundamental rule to internalize. Never leave the preposition stranded at the end.

When To Use It

You use these words constantly in everyday life to gather essential information. Each one has a specific domain of inquiry.
Use qué for definitions and general identification. It is the most versatile question word, used when you are asking "what" something is in a general sense or asking for information before a noun.
  • To ask for a definition: ¿Qué es la paella? (What is paella?)
  • Before a noun, to specify what you're asking about: ¿Qué libro lees? (What book are you reading?), ¿Qué hora es? (What time is it?).
Use quién or quiénes to ask about people. This word is exclusively for identifying one or more individuals.
  • For a single person: ¿Quién es tu artista favorito? (Who is your favorite artist?)
  • When you expect the answer to be more than one person: ¿Quiénes vienen a la fiesta? (Who is coming to the party?). Even if you aren't sure, if you see multiple people, using quiénes is appropriate: ¿Quiénes son ellos? (Who are they?).
Use dónde to ask about location. This is your go-to for anything related to place or position.
  • For a static location: ¿Dónde está el baño, por favor? (Where is the bathroom, please?)
  • To ask about the location of an event: ¿Dónde es el concierto? (Where is the concert?)
  • Remember to add prepositions for origin (de) or destination (a): ¿De dónde es tu familia? (Where is your family from?), ¿A dónde vamos este fin de semana? (Where are we going this weekend?).
These three words form the backbone of basic conversation, allowing you to navigate new environments, learn about people, and understand the world around you.

When Not To Use It

Equally important as knowing when to use these words is knowing their limitations and common points of confusion with other interrogatives.
Do not use qué to ask "Which one?" when there is a choice, especially with the verb ser. This is a critical distinction for A1 learners. While in English you might say "What is your name?", in Spanish you must use cuál. Use cuál to ask for a selection from a real or implied set of options (like all the names in the world).
  • Incorrect: ¿Qué es tu número de teléfono?
  • Correct: ¿Cuál es tu número de teléfono? (Which, from all possible numbers, is yours?)
  • Incorrect: ¿Qué es tu color favorito?
  • Correct: ¿Cuál es tu color favorito? (Which, from all the colors, is your favorite?)
The rule of thumb is: if the question implies a choice from a group, and it's followed by the verb ser, cuál is almost always the correct choice.
Do not use quién for animals, objects, or ideas. Quién is reserved for people. If you are asking to identify a non-human entity, you should use qué.
  • Pointing at a strange dog: ¿Qué es eso? (What is that?), not ¿Quién es eso?.
  • If you know it's a dog but want to know its name, you would ask: ¿Cómo se llama el perro? or ¿Cuál es su nombre?.
Do not use dónde to ask about time. Location and time are distinct concepts. For questions about "when," you must use cuándo.
  • Incorrect: ¿Dónde es tu cumpleaños?
  • Correct: ¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños? (When is your birthday?).
Avoiding these common misuses will make your Spanish sound significantly more natural, even at a beginner level.

Common Mistakes

Learners frequently make a few predictable errors with Spanish interrogatives. Being aware of them is the first step to avoiding them.
  1. 1Omitting the Accent Mark (tilde). This is the single most common error. Forgetting the accent changes the word's meaning entirely, turning a question into a statement component. This can confuse your listener or be marked incorrect in any written test.
| Mistake | Correction | Why It's Wrong |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Que quieres? | ¿Qué quieres? | que means "that"; qué means "what". |
| ¿Donde vives? | ¿Dónde vives? | donde means "where" (relative); dónde asks "where?". |
| ¿Quien es? | ¿Quién es? | quien means "who" (relative); quién asks "who?". |
  1. 1Number Agreement with Quién and Cuál. It's easy to forget to pluralize quién to quiénes or cuál to cuáles when asking about multiple items or people.
  • Incorrect: ¿Quién son tus padres?
  • Correct: ¿Quiénes son tus padres? (Because padres is plural).
  • Incorrect: ¿Cuál son tus clases favoritas?
  • Correct: ¿Cuáles son tus clases favoritas? (Because clases is plural).
  1. 1Confusing Qué and Cuál before ser. As detailed in "When Not To Use It," this is a major hurdle. The default for asking "What is...?" when the answer is a specific piece of information (name, phone number, address) is cuál.
  • Common Error: ¿Qué es tu nombre?
  • Standard Usage: ¿Cuál es tu nombre?
  1. 1Incorrect Preposition Placement. English speakers are accustomed to ending sentences with prepositions. This is grammatically incorrect in Spanish. The preposition must always precede the interrogative word.
  • Incorrect: ¿Quién vives con?
  • Correct: ¿Con quién vives? (With whom do you live?)

Real Conversations

Textbook examples are clean, but real-world Spanish is often more concise. Here’s how you will see and hear these question words used in everyday contexts.

1. Texting / WhatsApp:

In casual digital communication, native speakers often omit the opening question mark (¿) for speed. However, the accent on the interrogative word is almost always retained, as it's essential for clarity.

- A: q haces? (An abbreviated, informal version of ¿Qué haces? - What are you doing?)

- B: Nada, viendo una serie. y tu? (Nothing, watching a series. and you?)

- A: Dónde es la fiesta el sábado? (Where is the party on Saturday?) The ¿ is gone, but Dónde still has its accent.

2. On Social Media (Instagram Comments):

Questions on social media are common and follow standard grammar, though they are often short and direct.

- On a travel photo: ¡Qué bonito! ¿Dónde es? (So beautiful! Where is it?)

- On a picture of a group of friends: ¿Quiénes son? Parecen muy divertidos. (Who are they? They seem very fun.)

3. At a Restaurant or Shop:

These questions are practical and focused on getting information to make a decision.

- To a waiter: Perdona, ¿qué es el 'plato del día'? (Excuse me, what is the 'dish of the day'?)

- To a friend: Hay dos películas que quiero ver. ¿Cuál prefieres? (There are two movies I want to see. Which do you prefer?)

4. In a Professional Setting (Email or Slack):

In a formal or work context, proper grammar, including both question marks, is expected.

- Hola a todos, ¿quién está a cargo de la presentación para el cliente? (Hello everyone, who is in charge of the client presentation?)

- Gracias por el documento. ¿Dónde puedo encontrar los datos del último trimestre? (Thanks for the document. Where can I find the data from the last quarter?)

Progressive Practice

1

Work through these exercises to build your confidence from recognition to production.

2

Level 1: Choose the Correct Word

3

Fill in the blank with qué, quién, or dónde.

4

¿_______ es la capital de Colombia?

5

¿_______ está mi teléfono? No lo encuentro.

6

¿_______ es esa mujer que habla con el profesor?

(Answers: 1. cuál (trick question, but qué is acceptable for A1), 2. Dónde, 3. Quién)

Level 2: Form the Question

Read the answer and write the logical question to prompt it.

7

Answer: Mis llaves están en la mesa.

Question: ¿_______________?

8

Answer: Mi compañera de piso se llama Ana.

Question: ¿Cómo se llama tu compañera de piso? or ¿Quién es tu compañera de piso?

9

Answer: Soy de Argentina.

Question: ¿_______________?

(Answers: 1. ¿Dónde están mis llaves?, 3. ¿De dónde eres?)

Level 3: Find and Fix the Mistake

Each sentence has one common error. Correct it.

10

¿Que quieres comer esta noche?

11

¿Quien son las chicas en la foto?

12

¿Dónde eres?

13

¿Qué es tu dirección de email?

(Answers: 1. ¿Qué..., 2. ¿Quiénes..., 3. ¿De dónde eres?, 4. ¿Cuál es...)

Quick FAQ

Q: Do I really have to use the upside-down question mark (¿) when I'm texting?

In casual texting with friends, many native speakers omit it. However, the accent on the question word (e.g., qué) remains crucial. For any formal writing—emails, papers, professional communication—you must use both ¿ and ?.

Q: What is the difference between por qué and porque?

¿Por qué? (two words, with an accent) means "Why?". It asks for a reason. Porque (one word, no accent) means "because". It gives the reason. ¿Por qué estudias español? Porque quiero viajar a México.

Q: Can I use quién to ask about my pet?

Generally, quién is reserved for humans. For pets, it's more common to use qué if the animal is unknown (¿Qué es eso?) or to ask about its name directly (¿Cómo se llama tu perro?). However, in a culture where pets are heavily personified, you might hear owners use quién colloquially, but it is not standard grammar.

Q: Is there a difference between ¿Dónde está? and ¿Dónde es?

Yes, a very important one related to the verbs estar and ser. Use estar (¿Dónde está?) for the location of people, places, and objects. Use ser (¿Dónde es?) to ask where an event is taking place. ¿Dónde está el museo? vs. ¿Dónde es la fiesta?

Q: Is qué ever used for emphasis, not just questions?

Yes. In exclamations, qué is used to mean "how" or "what a..." It retains its accent in these cases. For example: ¡Qué día tan bonito! (What a beautiful day!) or ¡Qué caro! (How expensive!).

3. Question Word Overview

Spanish English Usage Plural Form
Qué
What
Things/Actions
N/A
Quién
Who
People
Quiénes
Dónde
Where
Location
N/A

Meanings

These words are used to request specific information rather than a simple yes/no response.

1

Qué (What)

Used to ask about things or actions.

“¿Qué es esto?”

“¿Qué quieres comer?”

2

Quién (Who)

Used to ask about people.

“¿Quién es ella?”

“¿Quién llama?”

3

Dónde (Where)

Used to ask about location or place.

“¿Dónde vives?”

“¿Dónde está el baño?”

Reference Table

Reference table for Spanish Question Words: What, Who, Where (qué, quién, dónde)
Form Structure Example
Direct Question
¿ + QW + Verb + Subject?
¿Qué comes tú?
Indirect Question
Verb + QW + Clause
Dime qué haces.
Plural Person
¿ + QW + Verb?
¿Quiénes vienen?
Location
¿ + QW + Verb?
¿Dónde está?
Movement
¿ + QW + Verb?
¿Adónde vas?
Exclamation
¡ + QW + Noun!
¡Qué día!

Formality Spectrum

Formal
¿Qué está haciendo usted?

¿Qué está haciendo usted? (Casual vs Formal)

Neutral
¿Qué haces?

¿Qué haces? (Casual vs Formal)

Informal
¿Qué haces, tío?

¿Qué haces, tío? (Casual vs Formal)

Slang
¿Qué onda?

¿Qué onda? (Casual vs Formal)

Question Word Map

Interrogatives

Things

  • Qué What

People

  • Quién Who

Places

  • Dónde Where
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Examples by Level

1

¿Qué es esto?

What is this?

2

¿Quién es él?

Who is he?

3

¿Dónde vives?

Where do you live?

4

¿Qué comes?

What are you eating?

1

¿Quiénes son tus amigos?

Who are your friends?

2

¿Dónde está la biblioteca?

Where is the library?

3

¿Qué quieres hacer hoy?

What do you want to do today?

4

¿Dónde trabajas ahora?

Where do you work now?

1

No sé qué hacer con este problema.

I don't know what to do with this problem.

2

¿Adónde vas con tanta prisa?

Where are you going in such a hurry?

3

Dime quién te dijo eso.

Tell me who told you that.

4

¿Qué libro estás leyendo?

What book are you reading?

1

¿Qué clase de persona haría eso?

What kind of person would do that?

2

Me pregunto dónde habrán dejado las llaves.

I wonder where they left the keys.

3

¿Quién podría haber previsto este resultado?

Who could have foreseen this result?

4

No me importa qué piensen los demás.

I don't care what others think.

1

Sea cual sea el resultado, no sé qué esperar.

Whatever the result, I don't know what to expect.

2

¿Quién sino tú podría resolver este enigma?

Who but you could solve this enigma?

3

Independientemente de dónde te encuentres, te encontraré.

Regardless of where you are, I will find you.

4

¿Qué no daría yo por estar allí?

What wouldn't I give to be there?

1

¡Qué maravilla de lugar!

What a wonderful place!

2

No es quién eres, sino qué haces.

It's not who you are, but what you do.

3

Pregúntate dónde reside la verdadera felicidad.

Ask yourself where true happiness resides.

4

Qué más da quién lo haya dicho.

What does it matter who said it.

Easily Confused

Spanish Question Words: What, Who, Where (qué, quién, dónde) vs Qué vs Cuál

Both translate to 'what' or 'which' in English.

Spanish Question Words: What, Who, Where (qué, quién, dónde) vs Que vs Qué

They look identical except for the accent.

Spanish Question Words: What, Who, Where (qué, quién, dónde) vs Dónde vs Adónde

Both mean 'where'.

Common Mistakes

✗

Que haces?

✓

¿Qué haces?

Missing accent and inverted question mark.
✗

Quien es?

✓

¿Quién es?

Missing accent.
✗

Donde tu vives?

✓

¿Dónde vives?

Subject pronoun placement is unnatural.
✗

Que es tu nombre?

✓

¿Cómo te llamas?

Wrong question word for names.
✗

Quiénes es?

✓

¿Quién es?

Plural pronoun with singular verb.
✗

Dónde vas?

✓

¿Adónde vas?

Missing directionality.
✗

Qué es tú trabajo?

✓

¿Cuál es tu trabajo?

Using 'qué' for selection.
✗

No sé que hacer.

✓

No sé qué hacer.

Missing accent in indirect question.
✗

¿Qué libro tú lees?

✓

¿Qué libro lees?

Redundant subject pronoun.
✗

Dime quién tú eres.

✓

Dime quién eres.

Unnecessary subject pronoun.
✗

Sea que sea...

✓

Sea cual sea...

Incorrect selection pronoun.
✗

Qué no daría...

✓

¡Qué no daría...!

Missing exclamation marks.
✗

Pregúntate donde...

✓

Pregúntate dónde...

Missing accent in indirect question.

Sentence Patterns

¿Qué ___ tú?

¿Quién es ___?

¿Dónde está ___?

¿Qué ___ vas a hacer?

Real World Usage

Social Media constant

¿Qué haces?

Travel very common

¿Dónde está el hotel?

Job Interview common

¿Qué responsabilidades tengo?

Food Delivery occasional

¿Qué quieres pedir?

Texting constant

¿Quién viene?

Classroom very common

¿Qué significa esto?

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💡

Accent Marks

Always check for the accent mark. If it's a question, it needs a hat!
⚠️

Inverted Marks

Don't forget the ¿ at the start. It's the most common mistake for beginners.
🎯

Subject Pronouns

You can usually drop the subject pronoun (tú, él, ella) to sound more natural.
💬

Regional Variations

Be aware that '¿Qué onda?' is very Mexican; other countries have their own versions.

Smart Tips

Always type the inverted question mark first.

Que haces? → ¿Qué haces?

Check if you need the plural 'quiénes'.

¿Quién vienen? → ¿Quiénes vienen?

Use 'adónde' for movement.

¿Dónde vas? → ¿Adónde vas?

Keep the accent mark.

No sé que hacer. → No sé qué hacer.

Pronunciation

Qué (keh), Quién (kyen), Dónde (DOHN-deh)

Accent marks

The accent mark indicates the stressed syllable.

Question intonation

¿Qué haces? ↗

Rising intonation at the end of the question.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Q-W-D: Questions Want Details. Remember the accent is the 'hat' the word wears when it asks a question.

Visual Association

Imagine a giant upside-down question mark (¿) acting as a hook catching a word like 'Qué'. The accent mark is a little bird sitting on top of the 'e'.

Rhyme

Qué, quién, dónde, listen to me, add the accent and the ¿ for all to see!

Story

Juan is a detective. He walks into a room and asks '¿Quién está aquí?' (Who is here?). He looks around and asks '¿Dónde está el sospechoso?' (Where is the suspect?). Finally, he finds a note and asks '¿Qué dice la nota?' (What does the note say?).

Word Web

QuéQuiénQuiénesDóndeAdóndeCuándoCómo

Challenge

Write 3 questions about your day using Qué, Quién, and Dónde, and post them in the comments.

Cultural Notes

Mexicans often use '¿Qué onda?' to mean 'What's up?'.

In Spain, '¿Qué tal?' is the standard way to ask 'How are you?'.

Argentines often use '¿Qué hacés?' as a greeting.

These words derive from Latin interrogatives like 'quid' (what) and 'ubi' (where).

Conversation Starters

“

¿Qué haces hoy?

“

¿Dónde vives?

“

¿Quién es tu mejor amigo?

“

¿Dónde te gustaría viajar?

Journal Prompts

Describe your perfect day.
Write about your best friend.
Describe your dream house.
Reflect on a recent trip.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

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Test Yourself

Fill in the blank with the correct question word.

___ vives tú?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Dónde
We are asking about a location.
Choose the correct sentence. Multiple Choice

Which sentence is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ¿Qué haces?
Needs both marks and the accent.
Fix the error in the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Quien es tu amigo?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ¿Quién es tu amigo?
Needs accent and inverted mark.
Reorder the words to form a question. Sentence Reorder

Arrange the words in the correct order:

All words placed

Click words above to build the sentence

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ¿Qué haces tú?
Standard question order.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: ___ es tu nombre? B: Me llamo Juan.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Cuál
Used for selection/names.
Build a question using 'Dónde'. Sentence Building

Build a question about a library.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ¿Dónde está la biblioteca?
Correct structure.
Sort the words by category. Grammar Sorting

Which word asks about people?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Quién
Quién is for people.
Match the question word to its meaning. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: What
Qué means what.

Score: /8

Practice Exercises

8 exercises
Fill in the blank with the correct question word.

___ vives tú?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Dónde
We are asking about a location.
Choose the correct sentence. Multiple Choice

Which sentence is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ¿Qué haces?
Needs both marks and the accent.
Fix the error in the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Quien es tu amigo?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ¿Quién es tu amigo?
Needs accent and inverted mark.
Reorder the words to form a question. Sentence Reorder

tú / haces / qué / ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ¿Qué haces tú?
Standard question order.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: ___ es tu nombre? B: Me llamo Juan.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Cuál
Used for selection/names.
Build a question using 'Dónde'. Sentence Building

Build a question about a library.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ¿Dónde está la biblioteca?
Correct structure.
Sort the words by category. Grammar Sorting

Which word asks about people?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Quién
Quién is for people.
Match the question word to its meaning. Match Pairs

Match Qué.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: What
Qué means what.

Score: /8

Practice Bank

10 exercises
Fill in the blank. Fill in the Blank

¿____ vives tú?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Dónde
Reorder the words to form a correct question. Sentence Reorder

llamas / te / ¿Cómo / ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ¿Cómo te llamas?
Translate this sentence into Spanish. Translation

Why is the door open?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ¿Por qué está la puerta abierta?
Match the Spanish word to its English meaning. Match Pairs

Match the pairs:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Qué:What, Cuándo:When, Dónde:Where, Quién:Who
How do you ask for the price of multiple items? Multiple Choice

Choose the best option:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ¿Cuánto cuestan?
Fix the punctuation mistake. Error Correction

Dónde estás?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ¿Dónde estás?
Asking about a date. Fill in the Blank

¿____ es tu cumpleaños?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Cuándo
Translate: 'Which book do you want?' Translation

Which book do you want?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ¿Qué libro quieres?
Ask how much something is. Sentence Reorder

cuesta / ¿ / esto / Cuánto / ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ¿Cuánto cuesta esto?
Match plural forms. Match Pairs

Match singular to plural:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Quién:Quiénes, Cuál:Cuáles, Cuánto:Cuántos, Qué:Qué

Score: /10

FAQ (8)

It helps the reader know a question is coming before they finish the sentence.

Yes, if it's a question. It distinguishes it from other words.

No, use 'quién' for people.

Yes, use it when asking about more than one person.

It's a spelling error and can change the meaning of the word.

These words are neutral and used in all registers.

Use '¿Adónde vas?' for movement.

No, there are others like 'cómo' (how) and 'cuándo' (when).

Scaffolded Practice

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2

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4

Mastery Progress

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Improving

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In Other Languages

French high

quoi/qui/où

French uses 'est-ce que' for questions, while Spanish just uses word order.

German moderate

was/wer/wo

German word order is much stricter (V2 rule).

Japanese low

nani/dare/doko

Japanese does not change word order for questions.

Arabic partial

ma/man/ayna

Arabic is written right-to-left and has different gender agreement.

Chinese low

shenme/shei/nali

Chinese does not use inverted question marks or accents.

English high

what/who/where

English lacks the inverted question mark and written accents.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
Spanish Question Order: Flipping the Script (¿...?)

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A1 Requires

Spanish Question Order: Flipping the Script (¿...?)

Overview Understanding Spanish question order is a foundational skill, even for beginners. Unlike English, which frequen...

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