Spanish word

qué

Pronunciation

IPA/ke/

Meaning

  • pronounwhat

Example

¿Qué quieres?

What do you want?

Illustration for qué (what)

More examples

¿Qué haces mañana?

What are you doing tomorrow?

Core concept

A request for what something is or what kind it is.

Common phrases

  • ¿Qué pasa?

    What's wrong

  • ¿Qué haces?

    What are you doing

  • ¿Qué tal?

    How are you

Similar words

cuál: Question asking which option to pick from a defined set.
quién: Question asking who a person is or who did something.
cuánto: Question asking how much or how many to indicate quantity.

Definition in Spanish

Sirve para pedir información sobre la identidad, la naturaleza o la clase de algo.

Word origin

Derived from Latin quid 'what', passing through medieval Spanish forms to modern qué and sharing its origin with English what.

Usage tips

  • Qué commonly appears before a noun to ask what kind or type (¿Qué libro?), whereas cuál is preferred when asking someone to select from known options.

Other meanings

  • whichadjective
  • what kind ofadjective
  • howinterjection

Word lists with this word