Asking Questions (Junior Cert Spanish): Revision Notes
Asking questions
Overview
Learning to ask and understand questions is essential when communicating in Spanish. You'll need this skill during role-play activities in your speaking exam. Questions help you gather information, make conversation, and show interest in others.
Rules & formation
Yes/no questions
To create yes/no questions, you use the same word order as a statement but add question marks when writing or use a rising tone when speaking.
Formation:
- Written: Add question marks ¿ at the start and ? at the end
- Spoken: Use rising intonation at the end of the sentence
Open questions
For open questions that require detailed answers, you need question words. These always begin with an accent mark and are placed at the start of the question.
Important rule: Don't forget the accents on question words - they're essential for correct spelling and pronunciation.
Table of key question words
| Spanish | English | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Cuándo? | When? | Asking about time |
| ¿Dónde? | Where? | Asking about location |
| ¿Adónde? | Where to? | Asking about destination |
| ¿Cuánto/a? | How much? | Asking about quantity (singular) |
| ¿Cuántos/as? | How many? | Asking about quantity (plural) |
| ¿Qué? | What? | Asking about things or actions |
| ¿Por qué? | Why? | Asking for reasons |
| ¿Cómo? | How? | Asking about manner or method |
| ¿Cuál(es)? | Which (ones)? | Asking for selection from options |
| ¿Quién(es)? | Who? | Asking about people |
| ¿De dónde? | From where? | Asking about origin |
Using quién and quiénes
These question words specifically ask about people and change depending on whether you're asking about one person or multiple people.
Forms:
- ¿Quién? = Who? (singular)
- ¿Quiénes? = Who? (plural)
Different meanings depending on context:
- ¿De quién(es)...? = Whose...?
- ¿A quién(es)...? = To whom...? / Who...to?
- ¿Con quién(es)...? = With whom...? / Who...with?
- ¿Para quién(es)...? = For whom...? / Who...for?
Note about word order: In questions with quién, the word order might change slightly from English. Pay attention to where prepositions are placed.
Question tags
Spanish uses question tags much more simply than English. Instead of "isn't he?", "haven't they?", or "can't you?", Spanish just uses ¿verdad? (meaning "true?" or "right?") at the end of any statement to ask for confirmation.
Examples:
- Pablo es tu novio, ¿verdad? = Pablo is your boyfriend, isn't he?
This makes asking for confirmation much easier than in English!
Example sentences
Worked Examples: Question Formation in Practice
Yes/no questions:
- ¿Estudias español? = Do you study Spanish?
- ¿Quieres ir al polideportivo? = Do you want to go to the leisure centre?
Open questions:
- ¿De quién es este cuaderno? = Whose is this exercise book?
- ¿A quién escribes? = Who are you writing to?
- ¿Para quién son estas flores? = Who are these flowers for?
- ¿Con quiénes vas de vacaciones? = Who are you going on holiday with?
These examples show how Spanish questions work in practical, everyday situations that you might encounter in conversations or exams.
Common mistakes & tips
Mistake 1: Forgetting accents on question words
- Wrong: ¿Donde vives?
- Right: ¿Dónde vives?
- Tip: Question words always have accents - no exceptions!
Mistake 2: Using English word order with prepositions
- Wrong: ¿Quién vas con? (copying English "Who are you going with?")
- Right: ¿Con quién vas?
- Tip: Prepositions go before the question word in Spanish.
Mistake 3: Overcomplicating question tags
- Wrong: Trying to translate "isn't he?", "don't they?" etc.
- Right: Just use ¿verdad? for all confirmation questions
- Tip: ¿Verdad? works in every situation where English uses different question tags.
Mini practice
Practice Exercises
Spanish → English:
- ¿Cuántas personas hay en tu clase?
- ¿De dónde es tu cantante preferido?
- Tu cumpleaños es en marzo, ¿verdad?
English → Spanish: 4. When did you go on holiday last year? 5. How much does it cost? 6. Who is your favourite singer?
Answers:
- How many people are there in your class?
- Where is your favourite singer from?
- Your birthday is in March, isn't it?
- ¿Cuándo fuiste de vacaciones el año pasado?
- ¿Cuánto cuesta?
- ¿Quién es tu cantante preferido/a?
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- Question words always have accents - this helps distinguish them from other words
- Use ¿verdad? as a simple question tag for all confirmation questions
- Prepositions go before question words, not at the end like in English
- Rising intonation is crucial when speaking questions aloud
- The same sentence structure works for statements and yes/no questions - just add question marks or change your tone