Being able to ask questions is absolutely fundamental to communication in any language. How else can you get information, clarify doubts, or simply engage in a meaningful conversation? In Spanish, like in English, we use specific **interrogative words** (also known as question words) to signal what kind of information we're seeking.

Mastering these words – Qué, Quién, Dónde, Cuándo, Cómo, Por qué, Cuál, and Cuánto – is **crucial for communication** and will dramatically improve your ability to interact in Spanish. This guide breaks down each one with clear examples.

What Are Spanish Interrogative Words?

Interrogative words are used to ask questions seeking specific types of information (what, who, where, when, how, why, which, how much/many). A key feature in Spanish is that these words **always carry a written accent mark** (´) when used in questions (directly or indirectly) to distinguish them from their non-interrogative counterparts.

Remember that Spanish questions also use an inverted question mark (¿) at the beginning and a standard question mark (?) at the end.

The Main Interrogative Words

• ¿Qué? – What? / Which? (Used for definitions, explanations, or choices before a noun)
  • ¿Qué es esto? – What is this?
  • ¿Qué hora es? – What time is it?
  • ¿Qué libro prefieres? – Which book do you prefer?
  • No sé qué hacer. – I don't know what to do. (Indirect question)
• ¿Quién? / ¿Quiénes? – Who? / Whom? (Quién for singular, Quiénes for plural)
  • ¿Quién es él? – Who is he?
  • ¿Quiénes son ellos? – Who are they?
  • ¿A quién llamaste? – Whom did you call?
  • Dime con quién andas... – Tell me who you hang out with... (Indirect question)
• ¿Dónde? – Where? (Used for location)
  • ¿Dónde está el baño? – Where is the bathroom?
  • ¿De dónde eres? – Where are you from?
  • No sé dónde vive. – I don't know where he/she lives. (Indirect question)
• ¿Cuándo? – When?
  • ¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños? – When is your birthday?
  • ¿Cuándo llega el tren? – When does the train arrive?
• ¿Cómo? – How? / What? (Can mean 'How' in manner, or 'What?' when asking for repetition or expressing surprise)
  • ¿Cómo estás? – How are you?
  • ¿Cómo se llama? – What is his/her/your name? (Literally: How does he/she/you call himself/herself/yourself?)
  • ¿Cómo? No te oí. – What? I didn't hear you.
• ¿Por qué? – Why? (Note: Always two words with an accent in questions)
  • ¿Por qué estudias español? – Why do you study Spanish?
  • ¿Por qué no viniste? – Why didn't you come?
• ¿Cuál? / ¿Cuáles? – Which? / Which one(s)? / What? (Used for choices among a group, or asking 'what' before 'ser' when not asking for a definition. Cuál singular, Cuáles plural)
  • ¿Cuál prefieres, el rojo o el azul? – Which one do you prefer, the red one or the blue one?
  • ¿Cuáles son tus libros favoritos? – Which are / What are your favorite books?
  • ¿Cuál es tu nombre? – What is your name? (Common alternative to ¿Cómo te llamas?)
  • ¿Cuál es la capital de Francia? – What is the capital of France?
• ¿Cuánto/a/os/as? – How much? / How many? (Must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies or refers to)
  • ¿Cuánto dinero tienes? – How much money do you have? (dinero is m. sing.)
  • ¿Cuánta gente hay? – How many people are there? (gente is f. sing.)
  • ¿Cuántos años tienes? – How old are you? (Literally: How many years do you have? años is m. pl.)
  • ¿Cuántas sillas necesitamos? – How many chairs do we need? (sillas is f. pl.)
  • ¿Cuánto es? – How much is it? (Referring to price)

Common Points of Confusion

¿Qué? vs. ¿Cuál?

This is often tricky for English speakers because both can sometimes translate to "What?".

• Use ¿Qué? when asking for a definition or explanation: ¿Qué es la paella? (What is paella?)
• Use ¿Qué? before a noun: ¿Qué color te gusta? (What color do you like?)
• Use ¿Cuál? when choosing from a selection (implied or explicit): Hay dos pasteles. ¿Cuál quieres? (There are two cakes. Which one do you want?)
• Use ¿Cuál? (or ¿Cuáles?) before the verb ser (except when asking for a definition): ¿Cuál es tu número de teléfono? (What is your phone number?), ¿Cuáles son las opciones? (What are the options?)

¿Por qué? vs. Porque

• ¿Por qué? (two words, accent on qué) means "Why?" and is used only in questions.
• Porque (one word, no accent) means "because" and is used to give reasons/answers.
• ¿Por qué estudias? - Porque quiero aprender. (Why do you study? - Because I want to learn.)

Word Order in Questions

While Spanish word order can be flexible, it's very common to invert the subject and verb after an interrogative word, especially in simple questions:

• Statement: Tú hablas español. (You speak Spanish.)
• Question: ¿Qué hablas tú? or ¿Hablas tú español? (What do you speak? / Do you speak Spanish?)
• Question: ¿Dónde vive ella? (Where does she live?)

However, subject-verb inversion isn't always mandatory, especially in more complex sentences or informal speech. The key is the interrogative word and the question marks!

Practice Asking!

Knowing these interrogative words unlocks your ability to seek information and truly interact. Practice forming questions about everyday things: What is that? Where is the station? When does the movie start? Why is the sky blue? The more you use them, the more comfortable you'll become.

Want to confidently ask and answer questions in Spanish? Sprachlingua's online Spanish course provides the structure and practice you need.