¿Qué quieres comer?
English: What do you want to eat?
- Language
- Spanish
- Level
- B1
- Unit
- Pronombres
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
Spanish interrogative pronouns are words used to ask questions about people, things, places, reasons, or ways something is done. They help you get specific information.
When to use it
Use interrogative pronouns in Spanish when you want to ask for information: about a person, a thing, a place, time, reason, manner, or quantity.
Key forms
- ¿Qué?
- ¿Quién? / ¿Quiénes?
- ¿Cuál? / ¿Cuáles?
- ¿Dónde?
- ¿Cuándo?
- ¿Cómo?
- ¿Por qué?
- ¿Cuánto/a/os/as?
Examples
¿Dónde vives?
English: Where do you live?
¿Quién es tu profesor?
English: Who is your teacher?
¿Por qué estudias español?
English: Why do you study Spanish?
¿Cuántos años tienes?
English: How old are you?
Tips
- Always use an accent mark (´) on interrogative pronouns in direct and indirect questions.
- Some pronouns change form to agree with gender and number (e.g., '¿Cuánto?', '¿Cuánta?', '¿Cuántos?', '¿Cuántas?').
- Do not confuse '¿Qué?' (what) with '¿Cuál?' (which); '¿Cuál?' is used when choosing from a group.
Exceptions and edge cases
- In indirect questions (not real questions but reported), interrogative pronouns still keep the accent mark.
- Some pronouns like 'qué' and 'cuál' can change meaning depending on context.