Question words (quién, cómo)

Asking Questions in Spanish

In Spanish, all question words have a written accent mark to distinguish them from other words that sound the same. You will also notice that every written question begins with an inverted question mark (¿) and ends with a standard one (?).

"Cómo" (How)

Use cómo to ask how something is done or how someone is feeling. A very common response is bien (well or fine).

You can also use it to ask how an action takes place, like how someone travels (viajar).

"Quién" (Who)

To ask who is doing an action or to identify a person, use quién. When quién is the subject of the sentence, it pairs with the "he/she/it" (third-person singular) form of the verb.

"Cuándo" (When)

When you want to know the time an event happens, use cuándo. We often use it with verbs like llegar (to arrive).

"Cuál" (Which / What)

Use cuál when you are asking "which one" to identify something from a group or category. While it directly translates to "which," in English we often say "what" in these situations (such as asking "What is the problem?").