Questions (AQA A-Level Spanish): Revision Notes
Questions
Las preguntas
Asking questions in Spanish involves three key elements: changing your intonation, adjusting word order, and using specific interrogative words. Understanding how to form questions correctly is vital for speaking exams, listening comprehension tasks, and written accuracy.
Overview
Spanish has two main categories of questions:
- Yes/no questions (preguntas de sí/no) – questions that can be answered with yes or no
- Information questions (preguntas informativas) – questions that ask for specific information using question words like "what", "where", "when"
Both types follow particular structural patterns that differ from English in important ways.
Yes/no questions
Forming questions through intonation
In spoken Spanish, you can transform any statement into a question simply by raising your pitch at the end. The words stay in exactly the same order, but your voice goes up.
Transforming Statements into Questions:
Statement:
- Vienes mañana. – You're coming tomorrow.
Question:
- ¿Vienes mañana? – Are you coming tomorrow?
Notice how the words remain in the same order – only the intonation changes!
In writing, you must always use both opening and closing question marks (¿ ?) to show that a sentence is a question. This is non-negotiable in correct Spanish.
Word order in yes/no questions
Spanish frequently places the verb before the subject in questions, though this isn't mandatory. This inversion happens more often in formal or written Spanish.
Examples:
- ¿Ha llegado el profesor? – Has the teacher arrived?
- ¿Te gusta el café? – Do you like coffee?
Notice how "ha llegado" comes before "el profesor", and "te gusta" comes before the implied subject. However, you could also say ¿El profesor ha llegado? in everyday speech.
Tag questions
Tag questions are short phrases added to the end of statements to confirm information or seek agreement. Spanish commonly uses these forms:
- ¿no? – right? / isn't it?
- ¿verdad? – right? / true?
Examples:
- Es difícil, ¿no? – It's difficult, isn't it?
- Llegamos tarde, ¿verdad? – We're arriving late, right?
These tags make your Spanish sound more natural and conversational, particularly in informal settings.
Information questions
Information questions use interrogative words to ask for specific details. These question words always carry an accent mark when used in questions (either direct or indirect).
Common question words
| Word | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| qué | what | ¿Qué quieres? | What do you want? |
| quién(es) | who | ¿Quién vino? | Who came? |
| cuál(es) | which | ¿Cuál prefieres? | Which one do you prefer? |
| cuánto/a(s) | how much/many | ¿Cuántos años tienes? | How many years are you? (How old are you?) |
| cómo | how | ¿Cómo lo hiciste? | How did you do it? |
| cuándo | when | ¿Cuándo llegas? | When do you arrive? |
| dónde | where | ¿Dónde vives? | Where do you live? |
| adónde | where to | ¿Adónde vas? | Where are you going to? |
| por qué | why | ¿Por qué estudias español? | Why do you study Spanish? |
| para qué | what for | ¿Para qué sirve? | What is it for? |
The Accent Rule:
When these same words appear without an accent mark, they function as relative pronouns or adverbs (connecting words), not as question words. The accent tells you it's a question.
Think of it this way: Accent = question, no accent = connection
Syntax and word order in questions
Verb-subject inversion
Placing the verb before the subject is common in Spanish questions, particularly in formal contexts or written language. This creates a more elegant, polished style.
Verb-Subject Inversion in Action:
- ¿Dónde vive tu hermana? – Where does your sister live?
- ¿Qué dijo el ministro? – What did the minister say?
Notice how "vive" comes before "tu hermana" and "dijo" comes before "el ministro". This inversion emphasises the question being asked.
Object pronouns in questions
When object pronouns (like lo, la, te, me) appear in questions, they remain in their usual position: before the verb.
Examples:
- ¿Lo viste? – Did you see it/him?
- ¿Te lo dijo? – Did he/she tell you it?
The pronoun stays glued to the verb, just as it would in a statement. This positioning never changes in questions.
Prepositions in questions
Unlike English, Spanish typically keeps the preposition at the beginning of the question, right before the question word. However, in informal speech, you might hear the preposition at the end.
Preferred (standard):
- ¿Con quién hablaste? – Who did you speak with? / With whom did you speak?
Informal (acceptable in speech):
- ¿Quién hablaste con? – Who did you speak with?
The first version is always safer for exams and formal writing.
Indirect questions
Indirect questions report or refer to a question without using question marks. They appear in statements that mention what someone asked or what you don't know.
Structure: verb + question word (no inversion needed)
Examples:
- No sé qué quiere. – I don't know what he/she wants.
- Me preguntó dónde vivía. – He/she asked me where I lived.
Crucial point about accents:
The interrogative word keeps its accent mark even in indirect questions. This is a common error – students often forget the accent because there are no question marks, but the accent must stay.
✓ Correct: No sé dónde vive ✗ Incorrect: No sé donde vive
Negative questions
Negative questions begin with ¿No...? and serve specific communicative purposes in Spanish.
Uses:
- Express surprise
- Expect confirmation
Examples:
- ¿No vienes hoy? – Aren't you coming today? (expressing surprise or seeking confirmation)
- ¿No te gusta el chocolate? – Don't you like chocolate? (expecting the answer "yes, I do")
These questions convey your expectation that something is true or show your astonishment that it might not be.
Tricky points and common confusions
Qué vs cuál
These two words both translate as "what" or "which", but they're used differently:
Understanding Qué vs Cuál:
qué → asking for definitions or general information
- ¿Qué es esto? – What is this?
cuál → choosing from a known set of options
- ¿Cuál prefieres? – Which one do you prefer?
Memory tip: Think of qué as "what type/kind" and cuál as "which specific one from these options".
Por qué vs porque
These look similar but serve opposite functions:
The Why/Because Distinction:
¿por qué? (with accent, two words) → question word meaning "why"
- ¿Por qué estudias español? – Why do you study Spanish?
porque (no accent, one word) → conjunction meaning "because"
- Porque es útil. – Because it's useful.
Remember: The accent mark signals that you're asking a question, not providing an answer.
Cuánto agreement
Cuánto must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes:
- ¿Cuántos libros tienes? – How many books do you have? (masculine plural)
- ¿Cuánta agua hay? – How much water is there? (feminine singular)
The four forms are: cuánto (masculine singular), cuánta (feminine singular), cuántos (masculine plural), cuántas (feminine plural).
Common mistakes to avoid
Watch Out for These Common Errors:
✗ Forgetting the opening ¿ Many students only remember the closing question mark because English uses one. Spanish requires both.
- ✗ Incorrect: Cómo estás?
- ✓ Correct: ¿Cómo estás?
✗ Missing accents on question words Every interrogative word needs its accent: qué, quién, cuál, cuánto, cómo, cuándo, dónde, adónde, por qué. Without the accent, the meaning changes.
- ✗ Incorrect: ¿Que quieres?
- ✓ Correct: ¿Qué quieres?
✗ Using English word order Don't directly translate English questions. "What you want?" doesn't work in Spanish – you need ¿Qué quieres?
✗ Removing accents in indirect questions The accent stays even when there are no question marks.
- ✗ Incorrect: No sé donde vive
- ✓ Correct: No sé dónde vive
Example sentences with explanations
Analyzing Different Question Types:
Yes/no question:
-
¿Vas a estudiar mañana? – Are you going to study tomorrow?
The intonation rises at the end, and the sentence is enclosed in ¿?. The verb vas could come before or after tú (the subject, which is implied).
Information question with inversion:
-
¿Te dijo la verdad? – Did he/she tell you the truth?
The verb dijo appears before the subject la verdad (though here, the subject is actually implied as "él/ella"). The pronoun te stays before the verb.
Tag question:
-
Hace calor, ¿no? – It's hot, isn't it?
The tag ¿no? seeks confirmation of the statement.
Indirect question:
-
Direct: ¿Dónde vive? – Where does he/she live?
-
Indirect: No sé dónde vive. – I don't know where he/she lives.
The accent on dónde remains, but there are no question marks because it's now part of a statement.
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- All Spanish questions in writing need both ¿ and ? – never forget the opening mark
- Interrogative words always carry accents (qué, quién, cuándo, etc.) in both direct and indirect questions
- You can form yes/no questions just by raising your voice at the end in speech
- Verb-subject inversion is common but optional in questions – it sounds more formal
- Qué asks for definitions, cuál chooses from options
- ¿Por qué? (with accent) = question asking why; porque (no accent) = answer meaning because