Lesson 4.3 Two ways of saying 'how' - Como & En que. Can someone explain the difference please.
Ways of saying 'How'
pedropedro
April 21, 2020
Liss-Rocket-Languages-Tutor
April 27, 2020
¡Hola pedropedro!
Thanks for your question!
This is one of those situations where two languages don't quite match up perfectly.
Cómo is the Spanish question word that translates most closely to "how" in English. The question ¿Cómo estás? "How are you?" is a good example of this.
En qué, on the other hand, literally means "in what." So ¿En qué le puedo servir? would more literally translate to "In what can (I) serve you?" This is a common phrasing in Spanish, but the literal translation would sound strange in English; instead, an English speaker would say "How can I be of service?" or simply "How can I help you?"
I hope that that is helpful! Do let me know if you still have any questions!
Saludos,
Liss
Thanks for your question!
This is one of those situations where two languages don't quite match up perfectly.
Cómo is the Spanish question word that translates most closely to "how" in English. The question ¿Cómo estás? "How are you?" is a good example of this.
En qué, on the other hand, literally means "in what." So ¿En qué le puedo servir? would more literally translate to "In what can (I) serve you?" This is a common phrasing in Spanish, but the literal translation would sound strange in English; instead, an English speaker would say "How can I be of service?" or simply "How can I help you?"
I hope that that is helpful! Do let me know if you still have any questions!
Saludos,
Liss
Alice101
May 14, 2020
Wow! That really helps! Thanks Liss.