What in Spanish: Meaning, Pronunciation, and Daily Use

What Is “What” in Spanish

Spanish “what” is qué (with diéresis).
It is one of the easiest question words used in Spanish and used to inquire about things, meanings, activities, and plans.

If not in question form but as a statement, the accent mark is misplaced and it is que.

Examples:

• ¿Qué es eso? (What is that?)
  

So, qué is “what” while que is “that” or “which” depending on which sentence.

Pronunciation of Qué

Qué is pronounced as keh.

Break it down

• Q → k
  
• é → eh
  

Slowly say: keh.
It is short, convenient, and an effortless one to utter.

Accent mark (é) highlights the emphasis, so it comes naturally while uttering the question.

Difference Between Qué and Que

You will have to point out the difference between qué (unstressed) and que (stressed) as it’s another connotation.

• Qué – Question forms (direct and indirect questions).
  
• Que – As a conjunction “that,” “which,” or “who.”
  

Examples:

• ¿Quéquieres comer? (What do you want to eat?)
  
• Se retrasaría.
  (He would be late.)
  

With the accent, you can determine whether the speaker is asking or stating something.

Normal Use of Qué

Qué is normally used in Spanish. Qué can be utilized in asking something, reasons, definition, or emphasis.

Examples:

• ¿Qué es esto?
  (What is this?)
  
• ¿Qué haces?
  (What are you doing?)
  
• ¿Qué pasa?
  (What’s going on?)
  

They are all used by native speakers.

Use of Qué in Asking

It is employed to ask open questions.

Examples:

• ¿Qué rituales tenemos en la oficina?
  (What are office customs?)
  
• ¿Qué pensamientos me surgieron para darle a la reunión?
  (What did I think of at the meeting?)
  

Que shows up at the beginning of a sentence or after a verb or object.

Que in Sentences

Que without the acute accent mark combines clauses or tells us facts.

 Afirmó que estaba cansado. (He asserted he was tired.)
Es mejor que tú estudies. (It is better that you study.)
Sé que va a llegar. (I know she is going to arrive.)

So, qué in responding, but que in joining.

Sayings with Qué

There are very frequent wise and witty sayings where Spanish employs qué:

• ¡Qué sorpresa! – What a surprise!
  
• ¡Qué lástima! – What a pity!
  

They are feeling words or reaction words and will most likely be spoken.

Examples in Spontaneous Speech

They are contracted sentences with that and qué in informal speech:

• ¿Qué estudias?
  (What do you study?)
  
• ¡Qué bonito día!
  (What a nice day!)
  
• Creo que está lloviendo.
  (I think that it is raining.)
  
• ¿Te parece?
  (Do you think?)
  

Both sentences are employed as examples and are characteristic of both to be very convenient and employed in daily Spanish.

Also Read: Spanish Boy Names: Meaning, Pronunciation, and Modern Trends

Cultural Note

It’s one of the initial questions that the children repeat to say so that they can say it. They say as:

• ¿Qué es eso? (What is that?)
  

And the adults employ a lot of qué to convey feeling, surprise, or excitement. Qué is an emotional word.

Examples:

• ¡Qué increíble! (How amazing!)
  
• ¡Qué lindo lugar! (What a pretty place!)
  

Stress or rise/fall of voice changes the tone of the sentence and makes it warm, exciting, or questioning.

Interesting Facts about Qué

• Qué is Latin “quid” borrowed into English, and “quid” is applied to mean “what”.
  
• It is applied to subtitles in nearly all Spanish speeches, films, and music.
  
• It is one of the five most usedest words in Spanish.
  
• Stress impacts on how it is spoken.
  

Spanish single-word, single-syllable qué is a brusque strong. Qué helps you inquire, speak, and answer. You’ll be using que and qué when you’re asking or putting together an idea in Spanish.

Qué = “What” (questions and exclamations)
Que = “That/which” (sentences)

And when you wonder or are surprised the next time, do it en español:
¡Qué interesante! (How interesting!)

FAQs

• How to pronounce “qué”?
  Of course, it’s keh. 
• Why so much disparity between qué and que?
  Qué is for asking questions and for making exclamations. Que is used to connect clauses or to introduce explanatory facts. 
• Do I use qué to express feelings?
  Yes, sure thing, you can reply with ¡Qué lindo! (How cute!) or ¡Qué triste! (How sad!)