Questions
¿ and ?, yes/no questions, and question words.
A Spanish question opens with ¿ and closes with ?, and an exclamation opens with ¡ and closes with !. The opening mark goes where the question starts, which may be partway through a sentence.
- Do you speak English?
- How pretty!
- And you, what do you think?
Yes/no questions
A yes/no question can use the same words as a statement, with the voice rising at the end. The subject can also go after the verb. Spanish has nothing like English "do".
- Do you have a car?
- Is Ana coming tomorrow?
- Is Ana coming tomorrow?
Add ¿verdad? or ¿no? to check that something is so:
- You're from Madrid, aren't you?
Question words
Question words come first and carry an accent mark. The verb usually comes straight after, before the subject.
| Spanish | Meaning |
|---|---|
| qué | what |
| quién, quiénes | who |
| cuál, cuáles | which, what |
| dónde | where |
| adónde | where to |
| cuándo | when |
| cómo | how |
| cuánto, cuánta | how much |
| cuántos, cuántas | how many |
| por qué | why |
- Where does your sister live?
- How old are you?literally "how many years do you have?"
- How much does it cost?
- Why aren't you coming? —Because I'm ill.
por qué "why" is two words with an accent; porque "because" is one word without.
A preposition goes before the question word, never at the end as in English:
- Where are you from?
- Who are you going with?
- What's this for?
Qué or cuál
Before a noun, "what" and "which" are qué: ¿Qué libro quieres? Before ser and when choosing among things, "what" is usually cuál: ¿Cuál es tu nombre? "What's your name?" ¿Qué es...? asks for a definition: ¿Qué es esto? "What is this?"
The accent stays in a question inside a sentence: No sé dónde vive "I don't know where he lives".
Cards from this guide
10 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Sentences cards.
How does a written Spanish question begin?
With an upside-down question mark, ¿.
How do you ask 'Do you have a car?'
¿Tienes coche?
What does ¿verdad? at the end of a sentence do?
Asks the listener to agree, like 'isn't it?' or 'right?'
What's the difference between por qué and porque?
por qué is 'why'; porque is 'because'.
How do you ask 'Where are you from?'
¿De dónde eres?
How do you ask someone's age?
¿Cuántos años tienes?
How do you ask 'What's your phone number?', with qué or cuál?
¿Cuál es tu número de teléfono?
¿Qué libro? or ¿Cuál libro?: which is usual for 'which book?'
¿Qué libro?
Do question words keep their accent inside a sentence, as in 'I don't know where he lives'?
Yes: No sé dónde vive.
How do you ask 'How much does it cost?'
¿Cuánto cuesta?