Spanish Question Words: Everything You Need to Know to Ask Spanish Questions
Last updated: February 2, 2026
How to ask questions when learning Spanish is one of those things that sounds simple until you realize just how different the structure is from English. You've got inverted question marks (¿) at the beginning, accent marks all over your question words, and a bunch of little rules that trip people up. On the other hand, once you get the hang of Spanish question words, you'll be able to have actual conversations instead of just stating facts at people. Let's break down everything you need to know about Spanish interrogatives so you can start asking questions like a native speaker.🙋
Why Spanish questions look different
Here's the thing about Spanish questions: they're designed to be super clear from the very first word.
An interrogative sentence must always include an inverted question mark at the beginning (¿), and a regular question mark at the end (?).
This isn't just some fancy decoration. Spanish uses these markers so you know you're reading a question from the start, which actually helps with pronunciation and understanding.
In English, we rely on word order and tone to signal questions. Spanish does things differently. The sentence structure can be pretty flexible, so those question marks do the heavy lifting. You'll see them in everything from casual texts to formal writing.
Did you notice that all of the question words have an accent mark? That's another key feature. Every single Spanish question word carries an accent, which distinguishes them from similar words that aren't questions. For example, "que " (That/Which) versus "qué " (What). The accent mark isn't optional, it completely changes the meaning.
The essential Spanish question words
What are the 13 Spanish question words? Depending on how you count variations, you'll find anywhere from 12 to 13 core interrogative words in Spanish. Some lists combine certain forms, while others separate them. Here are the main ones you absolutely need to know:
- Qué (What) is probably the most common question word you'll use. It shows up everywhere.
- "¿Qué quieres?" (What do you want?)
- "¿Qué es esto?" (What is this?)
- "¿Qué haces?" (What are you doing?)
- Quién and quiénes (Who/whom) change based on singular and plural.
- "¿Quién es?" (Who is it?)
- "¿Quiénes son? (Who are they?)
- Dónde (Where) is your go-to for location questions.
- "¿Dónde está el baño?" (Where is the bathroom?)
- "¿De dónde eres?" (Where are you from?)
- Cuándo (When) handles all your time-related questions.
- "¿Cuándo llega?" (When does it arrive?)
- "¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños?" (When is your birthday?)
- Cómo (How) is versatile. You'll use cómo to ask about methods, conditions, and descriptions.
- "¿Cómo estás?" (How are you?)
- "¿Cómo se dice?" (How do you say it?)
- Por qué (Why) is actually two words, unlike "porque" (Because), which is one word.
- "¿Por qué estudias español?" (Why do you study Spanish?)
Cuál and cuáles (Which/What) are trickier than they seem. They're used when choosing between options. "¿Cuál prefieres?" (Which do you prefer?), "¿Cuál es tu nombre?" (What is your name?). Yeah, that last one sounds weird to English speakers since we'd say "what," but Spanish uses cuál here.
Cuánto, cuánta, cuántos, cuántas (How much/How many) all change based on gender and number. "¿Cuánto cuesta?" (How much does it cost?), "¿Cuántos años tienes?" (How many years do you have/How old are you?), "¿Cuántas personas?" (How many people?). You need to match the form to what you're asking about.
Understanding Spanish interrogatives with prepositions
Spanish interrogative words often team up with prepositions, and this is where things get interesting.
The preposition always comes before the question word, which feels backwards if you're used to English.
- In English, we say "Who are you talking to?" with the preposition dangling at the end.
- In Spanish, you'd say "¿A quién hablas?" with the preposition "a" right up front. Same deal with other combinations.
- "¿De dónde?" means "from where," as in "¿De dónde eres?" (Where are you from?).
- "¿Para qué?" means "for what/what for," like "¿Para qué sirve?" (What is it for?).
- "¿Con quién?" means "with whom," as in "¿Con quién vives?" (Who do you live with?).
You'll see these preposition combinations all the time:
Spanish | English |
|---|---|
A dónde | To where |
De qué | Of what / About what |
En dónde | In where |
Para quién | For whom |
Con qué | With what |
The preposition you choose can completely change the meaning of your question.
- "¿Qué piensas?"
What do you think? - "¿En qué piensas?"
What are you thinking about? - "¿De qué piensas?"
What do you think of/about?
Small changes, big differences.
Yes/no questions in Spanish
Not every question needs a question word. Sometimes you just want a yes or no answer. Spanish handles these differently than English.
You can create a yes/no question just by changing your intonation.
Take a statement like "Hablas español" (You speak Spanish) and raise your voice at the end: "¿Hablas español?" Now it's a question. Easy.
You can also flip the subject and verb.
"¿Es ella tu hermana?" (Is she your sister?) puts the verb "es" before the subject "ella." This is common in writing and more formal speech.
Adding question tags works too.
"Hablas español, ¿verdad?" (You speak Spanish, right?) or "¿no?" at the end of statements. "Vienes mañana, ¿no?" (You're coming tomorrow, aren't you?).
The inverted question mark (¿) still shows up at the beginning, even for yes/no questions. This is consistent across all Spanish questions, whether they use a question word or not.
Getting the word order right
Spanish question word order is more flexible than English, but there are patterns.
Generally, the question word comes first, then the verb, then the subject.
"¿Qué quieres tú?" (What do you want?) follows this pattern: question word (qué), verb (quieres), subject (tú). Though honestly, you'd usually just say "¿Qué quieres?" and drop the subject pronoun since the verb conjugation makes it clear.
When you've got a preposition, it goes before the question word.
"¿A dónde vas?" (Where are you going to?) starts with the preposition "a."
With compound tenses, the question word still leads.
"¿Qué has comido?" (What have you eaten?) puts qué first, then the auxiliary verb "has," then the past participle "comido."
The flexibility means you might hear variations. "¿Dónde está María?" and "¿María dónde está?" both work, though the first sounds more natural in most contexts.
Accent marks matter
Every Spanish question word carries an accent mark, and this isn't negotiable. The accent distinguishes interrogative words from their non-question counterparts.
- "Qué" (What) versus "que" (That/Which). "¿Qué dices?" (What are you saying?) versus "El libro que leo" (The book that I read).
- "Cómo" (How) versus "como" (Like/As/I eat). "¿Cómo estás?" (How are you?) versus "Como pizza" (I eat pizza).
- "Dónde" (Where) versus "donde" (Where, as a relative pronoun). "¿Dónde vives?" (Where do you live?) versus "La casa donde vivo" (The house where I live).
The accent mark changes pronunciation slightly, adding stress to that syllable. Native speakers will definitely notice if you leave them off in writing, and it can cause confusion about whether you're asking a question or making a statement.
Common Spanish questions you'll use
What are some common Spanish questions? Let's get practical. These are the questions that come up constantly in real conversations.
- "¿Cómo te llamas?" (What's your name?) is basic but essential. Literally it means "How do you call yourself?" but that's just how Spanish works.
- "¿De dónde eres?" (Where are you from?) comes up in pretty much every first conversation with someone new.
- "¿Qué hora es?" (What time is it?) and "¿A qué hora?" (At what time?) are super useful for coordinating plans.
- "¿Cuánto cuesta?" (How much does it cost?) is crucial for shopping, restaurants, basically any transaction.
- "¿Dónde está?" (Where is it?) and "¿Dónde hay?" (Where is there?) help you find stuff. The difference is that "está" refers to a specific location while "hay" is more general existence.
- "¿Puedes ayudarme?" (Can you help me?) is polite and gets you assistance when you need it.
- "¿Qué significa?" (What does it mean?) is perfect for language learners. You'll use this one a lot.
- "¿Hablas inglés?" (Do you speak English?) is handy as a backup, though you're learning Spanish to avoid needing it, right?
- "¿Cómo se dice X en español?" (How do you say X in Spanish?) becomes your best friend when you're missing vocabulary.
Tips to practice question words in Spanish
Are you enjoying learning question words in Spanish? Hopefully you're starting to see how they all fit together. The system is actually pretty logical once you get past the initial weirdness of inverted question marks and accent marks everywhere.
- The best way to internalize these Spanish interrogative words is to use them constantly. Start asking yourself questions in Spanish throughout the day. "¿Qué hago ahora?" (What am I doing now?), "¿Dónde están mis llaves?" (Where are my keys?), "¿Cuándo como?" (When do I eat?).
- Watch Spanish content and pay attention to how questions are formed. You'll notice patterns in how native speakers use these question words, which prepositions they pair them with, and how the intonation changes.
- Try writing out questions about your daily life. Start simple with the basic question words, then add prepositions and more complex structures as you get comfortable.
Anyway, if you want to actually practice these question words with real Spanish content, Migaku's browser extension and app let you look up words instantly while watching shows or reading articles. You can see questions in context and build your understanding naturally. There's a 10-day free trial if you want to check it out.
Questions are so common that you will get them in no time
The key is understanding how these question words work together with verbs, prepositions, and the rest of Spanish grammar. You don't need to memorize every possible combination. Learn the core words, understand the patterns, and build from there with exposure to Spanish-speaking content.
If you consume media in Spanish, and you understand at least some of the messages and sentences within that media, you will make progress. Period.
Pick up how to ask "can you speak English" at least, before your trip!