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Wh-questions · qué / quién / dónde

Question words always carry a written accent — qué, quién, dónde — and the verb usually comes straight after them.

Examples

  • ¿Dónde vives?Where do you live?
  • ¿Qué quieres comer?What do you want to eat?
  • ¿Por qué estudias español?Why are you studying Spanish?

How it works

Spanish question words (interrogativos) always carry a written accent — that's how they differ from their non-question equivalents (que vs qué, donde vs dónde, etc.):

¿Qué? — What?¿Quién(es)? — Who?
¿Dónde? — Where?¿Cuándo? — When?
¿Cómo? — How?¿Por qué? — Why?
¿Cuánto/a/os/as? — How much/many?
¿Cuál(es)? — Which one(s)?

The accent stays in indirect questions too (no ¿ ? needed):

No sé dónde está. — I don't know where he is.
Dime qué quieres. — Tell me what you want.

Without a question, the relative/conjunction forms have no accent:

La casa donde vivo. — The house where I live.
Creo que viene. — I think (that) he's coming.

After the question word, the subject usually goes AFTER the verb:

¿Dónde vive Marta? — Where does Marta live?
¿Qué quieres tú? — What do you want?

¿Qué? vs ¿Cuál?:

¿Qué es una tapa?

What is a tapa? (asking for definition / category)

¿Cuál es tu libro?

Which is your book? (selection from set)

Always wrap questions with ¿ … ?

Por qué (two words, why) ≠ porque (one word, because):

¿Por qué no vienes? — Why aren't you coming?
Porque estoy cansado. — Because I'm tired.

What you'll practise

  1. 1. Accented question words (qué, quién, dónde…)

    Always write the accent on interrogatives, even in indirect questions.

    • ¿Qué hora es?What time is it?
    • No sé dónde está.I don't know where he is.

  2. 2. Subject after the verb

    Place the subject after the verb in wh-questions.

    • ¿Cuándo llega tu hermano?When does your brother arrive?
    • ¿Qué piensa Marta?What does Marta think?

  3. 3. qué vs cuál

    qué = what (definition); cuál = which (selection).

    • ¿Qué es un mate?What is a mate?
    • ¿Cuál es tu favorito?Which is your favorite?

Practise it until it sticks

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