Reacting with Nouns
When you want to react strongly to a situation in Spanish, you can use ¡qué! followed directly by a noun. While in English we often say "what a..." (like "what a pity!"), in Spanish you skip the article completely. Do not forget the inverted exclamation mark (¡) at the beginning!
| What luck! You have the ticket. | ¡Qué suerte! Tienes el billete. |
| What a pity! You cannot come. | ¡Qué pena! No puedes venir. |
| What a fright! That dog is very dangerous. | ¡Qué susto! Ese perro es muy peligroso. |
Reacting with Adjectives
You can also use ¡qué! with an adjective to express how you feel about something or someone. This is similar to saying "how..." in English (like "how strange!").
When reacting to a specific person or thing, remember that the adjective must agree in gender and number with whoever or whatever you are reacting to.
| How strange! She never eats meat. | ¡Qué raro! Ella nunca come carne. |
| How great! I like to swim. | ¡Qué genial! Me gusta nadar. |
| How annoying you are! You always talk a lot. | ¡Qué pesada! Siempre hablas mucho. |
Everyday Exclamations
You will hear these exclamatory phrases all the time in everyday conversations. Whether something is a disaster (un desastre) or a wonder (una maravilla), starting with ¡qué! is the most natural way to express your surprise, frustration, or delight.
| What a disaster! The kitchen is very dirty. | ¡Qué desastre! La cocina está muy sucia. |
| What a wonder! Spain is very beautiful. | ¡Qué maravilla! España es muy bonita. |
