Questions

Questions!!


 * (video lesson at bottom) **

In Spanish, there may be several ways to ask the same question. Note the inverted question mark that begins each question. **¿María habla español?**  Does Maria speak Spanish? **¿Habla María español?**  Does Maria speak Spanish? **¿Habla español María?**  Does Maria speak Spanish?

The following questions mean exactly the same thing: Does María speak Spanish? ¿María habla español?  ¿Habla María español?  ¿Habla español María?

Possible answers would be: //Sí, María habla español.//  //No, María no habla español.//

Another method of forming questions is to add a tag question to the end of a statement. <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**María habla español, ¿no?** <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> Maria speaks Spanish, doesn't she? <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**María habla español, ¿verdad?** <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> Maria speaks Spanish, right?

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">Common words used to introduce other questions are: <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">//¿Adónde?// <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> //¿Dónde?// <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> //¿De dónde?// <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> //¿Cómo?// <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> //¿Cuál (-es)?// <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> //¿Cuándo?// <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> //¿Cuánto (-a)?// <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> //¿Cuántos (-as)?// <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> //¿Qué?// <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> //¿De qué?// <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> //¿Quién (-es)?// <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> //¿A quién (-es)?// <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> //¿Con quién (-es)?// <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> //¿De quién (-es)?// <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> //¿Por qué?// <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> //¿Para qué?// <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**Note:** Each has a written accent mark.

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">Notice how the subject and verbs are inverted. That is, the subject comes after the verb.

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**¿Qué estudia Pilar?** <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> What does Pilar study? <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**¿Cuándo comen ustedes?** <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> When do you-all eat? <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**¿Dónde está mi coche?** <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> Where is my car? <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**¿Cuánto cuesta la corbata?** <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> How much does the tie cost?

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">¿Dónde? means "Where?" ¿Adónde? means "To where?" Thus, dónde asks for a location, while adónde asks for a destination.

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**¿Dónde está la biblioteca?** <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> Where is the library? <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**¿Adónde va Raúl?** <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> Where is Raul going? <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> (Literally: To where goes Raul?)

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">¿De dónde? means "From where?" <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">//**¿De dónde es Gerardo?**// <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> //Where is Gerardo from?//

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">¿Cómo? means "How?" <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">//**¿Cómo está usted?**// <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> //How are you?//

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">¿Cuál? and ¿Cuáles? mean "What?" or "Which?"

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**¿Cuál es tu nombre?** <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> What is your name? <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**¿Cuáles son tus libros favoritos?** <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> What (Which) are your favorite books?

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">¿Cuándo? means "When?" <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">//**¿Cuándo van a ir ustedes?**// <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> //When are you-all going to go?//

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">¿Cuánto(-a)? means "How much?" <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">//**¿Cuánto dinero gana Eduardo?**// <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> //How much money does Eduardo earn?//

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">¿Cuántos(-as)? means "How many?" <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">//**¿Cuántas chicas hay en la clase?**// <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> //How many girls are there in the class?//

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">¿Qué? means "What?"

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**¿Qué es la libertad?** <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> What is liberty? <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**¿Qué estudias?** <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> What do you study?

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">¿De qué? means "About what?" or "Of what?"

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**¿De qué material es la pluma?** <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> What is the pen made of? <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> Literally: Of what material is the pen?

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**¿De qué hablan ustedes?** <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> What are you-all talking about? <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> Literally: Of what do you-all speak?

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">¿Quién(-es)? means "Who?"

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**¿Quién es Gregorio?** <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> Who is Gregorio? <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**¿Quiénes son esos chicos?** <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> Who are those boys?

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">¿A quién(-es)? means "Whom?"

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**¿A quién buscas?** <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> For whom are you looking? <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**¿A quiénes vas a dar tantos libros?** <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> To whom are you going to give so many books?

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">¿Con quién(-es)? means "With whom?"

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**¿Con quién hablo?** <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> With whom am I speaking? <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**¿Con quiénes estudia Mario?** <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;"> With whom does Mario study?

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">¿De quién(-es)? means "Whose?" > <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**¿De quién es aquel sombrero?** > Whose hat is that?<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**¿De quiénes son estas monedas?** > Whose coins are these?

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">¿Por qué? means "Why? (for what reason)" > <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**¿Por qué estudias español?** > For what reason do you study Spanish?<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">Possible answer: > <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**Porque es un requisito.** > Because it's required.

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">¿Para qué? means "Why? (for what purpose)" > <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**¿Para qué estudias español?** > For what purpose do you study Spanish?<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">Possible answer: > <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**Para ser profesor de español.** > In order to become a Spanish teacher.

<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">When used with the verb ser, cuál and qué can both mean "what," but they are not interchangeable. Cuál is more common, and is used to indicate a selection, or choice of possibilities. Qué is used to elicit a definition or an explanation. > <span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**¿Cuál es la capital de España?** > What is the capital of Spain?<span style="font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; outline-style: none; padding: 0px;">**¿Qué es la capital?** > What is the (definition of) capital?

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