Spanish spoken in Spain (Peninsular Spanish) demonstrates particular usage patterns for “qué” that differ from Latin American varieties. The expression “¿Qué es lo que…?” (What is it that…?) appears more frequently in Peninsular Spanish, creating emphasis and clarity in questions that might use simpler constructions in other regions.
Qué and cuál should not be confused with que and cual. Usually, qué and cuál are translated into English as what and which, respectively. There are a few exceptions to this general rule that often trip up learners. In questions with the verb ser (“to be”), qué is used to ask about definitions of things:
Que can be a relative pronoun used to describe a noun. As a relative pronoun que can be translated as “that,” “which,” or “who” depending on the circumstances: Carlos solo lee libros que tienen fotos. Carlos only reads books that have photos. ¿Dónde está el bolígrafo con que escribiste la carta? Where is the pen with which you wrote the letter? Yo vi a la chica que peleaba con ...
Ever wondered how "que" functions in sentences? Discover its meaning, role in different languages, and the fascinating roots of this tiny but mighty word.
QUE translations: that, than, that, not translated, that, and, what, who (m), that, that, than, let, that, which, who…. Learn more in the Cambridge Spanish-English ...
qué pronoun 1. (interrogativo) a. what ¿qué es eso? what's that? ¿qué hacen que no se mueven? why don't they move? ¿y qué? so what? ¿y a mí qué? what does that have to do with me?, what's that to me?, so what? ¿a qué fuiste a su casa? why did you go to her house?, what did you go to her house for? ¿a qué viene esa pregunta? why do you ask that?, what makes you ask that? ¿de qué ...