Spanish Question Words
In this free audio lesson, you will learn common Spanish question words. We'll give you a whole list of helpful interrogative words so you can start asking questions in Spanish. Note the upside-down question mark at the beginning of each question... can you write it?
Resources for further reading:
How to pronounce Spanish question words
Here are some of the most basic Spanish question words to get you started. Further on in this lesson we will look at the pronunciation of these and more Spanish question words.
- ¿Cuándo? / ¿Cuándo terminas? - When? / When do you finish?
- ¿Dónde? / ¿Dónde está el baño? - Where? / Where is the bathroom?
- ¿Adónde? / ¿Adónde vamos? - Where to? / Where are we going?
- ¿De dónde? / ¿De dónde eres tú? - From where? / Where are you from?
- ¿Cuántos / Cuántas? / ¿Cuántos son? - How many? / How many are they?
- ¿Qué? / ¿Qué te gusta tomar? - What? / What do you like to drink?
- ¿Por qué? / ¿Por qué preguntas? - Why? / Why do you ask?
- ¿Cómo? / ¿Cómo estás? - How? / How are you?
- ¿Cuál? / ¿Cuál es mío? - Which? / Which is mine?
- ¿Cuáles? / ¿Cuáles son tuyos? - Which ones? / Which ones are yours?
There are many helpful words to enable you to ask questions in Spanish.
The most common Spanish question words are...
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¿Cuándo? | ¿Cuándo terminas? |
When? | When do (you) finish? |
¿Dónde? | ¿Dónde está el baño? |
Where? | Where is the bathroom? |
¿Adónde? | ¿Adónde vamos? |
Where to? | Where are (we) going? |
¿De dónde? | ¿De dónde eres tú? |
From where? | Where are you from? |
¿Cuántos / Cuántas? | ¿Cuántos son? |
How many? (masc.) / How many? (fem.) | How many are (they)? |
¿Qué? | ¿Qué te gusta tomar? |
What? | What do (you) like to drink? |
¿Por qué? | ¿Por qué preguntas? |
Why? | Why do (you) ask? |
¿Cómo? | ¿Cómo estás? |
How? | How are (you)? |
¿Cuál? | ¿Cuál es mío? |
Which? | Which is mine? |
¿Cuáles? | ¿Cuáles son tuyos? |
Which ones? | Which ones are yours? |
¿Quién? / ¿Quiénes? | ¿Quién es él? |
Who? (singular) / Who? (plural) | Who is he? |
Using Inflection when asking a question in Spanish
Unlike English, however, you don’t raise the pitch of your voice at the end of a question in Spanish. Rather, you ask the interrogative word in a higher-pitched voice and drop your pitch for the rest of the question.
Spanish Question Punctuation Marks
Punctuation marks in Spanish are almost exactly the same as English--except for two. If you wish to add a question mark (?) at the end of a sentence, you must also add an upside-down question (¿) mark at the beginning.
¿Qué hora es?
What time is it?
¿Cómo te va?
How's (it) going with you?
Additionally, if you wish to use an exclamation point (!), you must add an upside-down exclamation point (¡) at the beginning of the exclamation.
¡Hola!
Hello!
¡Bien hecho!
Well done!
Using a Statement as a Question
As in English, you may use a statement to ask a question in Spanish as long as you raise the pitch of your voice at the end of the question.
Por ejemplo (for example):
Tienes calor ... You are hot
¿Estás estudiando?
Are (you) studying?
¿Tienes calor?
Are (you) hot?
Estamos contentos ... We are happy
_\
¿Están listos?
Are (you) ready?
¿Estamos contentos?
Are (we) happy?
Subject and verb order when asking questions in Spanish
Note that in English the order of the subject and verb are switched when converting a statement to a question. The same is true in Spanish. When asking a question, the order is as follows:
¿Complete verb(s) + subject + object?
Por ejemplo:
María y Juan terminan primero.
Maria and Juan finish first.
becomes...
¿Terminan María y Juan primero?
Do Maria and Juan finish first?
Por ejemplo:
Ustedes tienen mucha comida.
You have a lot of food.
becomes...
¿Tienen ustedes mucha comida?
Do you have a lot of food?
Asking “Really? Is That True?”
Often, in English, when we want to know whether or not something is true, we make a statement then add, "Right?" or "Really?" or "No?" For example: - You’re going to take the garbage out, right?
- The museum is on the left, no?
You can do the same thing in Spanish:
El museo está a la izquierda, ¿no?
The museum is on the left, isn't it?
However, instead of saying "right" or “"really," you'll ask, "True?"
Vas a sacar la basura, ¿verdad?
(You) are going to take the garbage out, right?
Simply remember to raise the pitch of your voice when you say "¿no?" or "¿verdad?"
Por ejemplo:
El carro tiene gasolina. - The car has gas.
El carro tiene gasolina, ¿verdad?
The car has gas, right?
El vestido es muy bonito. - The dress is very pretty. 
El vestido es muy bonito, ¿no?
The dress is very pretty, isn't it?
If you want more on Spanish words then check these out!
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See you soon! ¡Hasta pronto!
Mauricio Evlampieff: Rocket Spanish
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