Question Words
Spanish: AQA GCSE (2025 Exam), topic 9.4.2
Question Words
There are 12 key question words in Spanish. Here are six of them:
¿(A)dónde? - where
- '¿Dónde?' is used to refer to position and to going towards somewhere.
- ¿Dónde vamos?
- Where are we going?
- ¿Dónde está el restaurante?
- Where is the restaurant?
- '¿Adónde?' is only used in the sense of going towards a place, similar to 'where to' in English.
- ¿Adónde irás la semana que viene?
- Where are you going next week?
¿Cómo? - how, what
- '¿Cómo?' is used to ask how something happens as well as to ask about someone's characteristics.
- ¿Cómo funciona la aspiradora?
- How does the hoover work?
- ¿Cómo es su novia?
- What is your girlfriend like?
¿Cuál(es)? - which
- '¿Cuál(es)?' is used to refer to people or objects.
- ¿Cuál es tu número de teléfono?
- What is your telephone number?
- '¿Cuál(es)?' is also used when asking about options between two specific nouns.
- ¿Cuál es la diferencia entre el primer ministro y el rey?
- What is the difference between the prime minister and the king?
¿Cuándo? - when
- ¿Cuándo llega el autobus?
- When does the bus arrive?
- ¿Cuándo es el examen?
- When is the exam?
¿Cuánto(os,as)? - how much
- '¿Cuánto?' can be used as a pronoun or an adjective.
- When 'cuánto' is used as an adjective, it agrees with the gender and person of the noun.
- ¿Cuánto dinero cuesta la camiseta?
- How much money does this t-shirt cost?
- ¿Cuántas personas vienen hoy?
- How many people are coming today?
Question Words 2
Here are the six other questions words:
¿De quién? - whose
- '¿De quién?' is the word 'quién' used with a proposition.
- When used with a preposition the meaning slightly changes.
- ¿De quién es el coche rojo?
- Whose is the red car?
¿De dónde? - where from
- '¿De dónde?' is the word 'dónde' used with a proposition.
- ¿De dónde eres?
- Where are you from?
¿Por dónde? - through where
- '¿Por dónde?' is the word 'dónde' used with a preposition.
- ¿Por dónde empezamos?
- Where do we start?
¿Por qué? - why
- 'Por qué' is the main way of asking 'why' in Spanish.
- ¿Por qué han comprado un gato?
- Why have they bought a cat?
¿Qué? - what
- When used as a pronoun 'qué' refers to unknown nouns.
- ¿Qué hay detrás de la puerta?
- What is there behind the door?
- When used as an adjective 'qué' can refer to people well as things.
- ¿Qué significa 'decir'?
- What does 'decir' mean?
¿Quién? - who
- 'Quién', 'quiénes' when plural, can only refer to people.
- ¿Quién es tu profesor?
- Who is your teacher?
- 'Quién' can be used with propositions.
- ¿A quién no conozco?
- Who don't I know?
Test yourself on Question Words
How do you say 'when' in Spanish?
¿Qué significa 'dónde' en inglés?
How do you say 'what' in Spanish?