Breakdown of ¿Qué tan transparente es el hielo de ese lago?
ser
to be
de
from / of
qué
what
ese
that (masculine)
Questions & Answers about ¿Qué tan transparente es el hielo de ese lago?
Why do we use qué tan instead of just cómo to say 'how transparent'?
In Latin American Spanish, qué tan followed by an adjective or adverb is the standard way to ask about the degree of something, like 'how transparent' or 'how heavy'. If you just used cómo, it would mean 'how' in the sense of 'in what way', which doesn't work directly with an adjective of degree.
Why is the verb es used instead of está? Isn't the state of the ice temporary?
We use ser (es) here because the speaker is asking about an inherent, defining characteristic of the ice from that specific lake. Even though ice can melt, its physical properties when it exists are considered a core trait. You would only use estar (está) if the lake's ice is usually cloudy but happens to look unusually clear right now.
Could I use cuánto to ask this question instead of qué tan?
Would speakers from Spain also say qué tan transparente?