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Interrogative Words(question words)

Unidad 2 Etapa 2

� What is an interrogative word?� It is a word you use when making a

question, such as…� Who? What? Where? When? How?

..etc.� There are 8 in Spanish that you need

to know.

Interrogative Words

� ¿Quién? / ¿Quienes? = Who?� ¿Qué? = What?� ¿Cuál? / ¿Cuáles? = Which? /What?� ¿Cuándo? = When� ¿Por qué? = Why?� ¿Cómo? = How?� ¿Dónde? / ¿Adónde? = Where? / To where?� ¿Cuánto/a/os/as? = How much/many?

8 Question Words

¿Quién? = Who?¿Quienes? = Who? (When you know the answer will be more than one person)

EX: ¿Quién estudia mucho? Who studies a lot?

EX: ¿Quienes son tus hermanos?Who are your brothers?

Examples

¿Qué? = What?(Qué can have a noun right after it)

EX: ¿Qué clase es muy fácil? What class is very easy?

Examples

¿Cuál? / ¿Cuáles? = Which OR What? (These CANNOT have a noun right after them)(Often used when SER comes after)(Often used when DE is right after)

EX: ¿Cuál de los libros quieres? ¿Cuál es tu pluma? Which (one) of the books do you want?Which is your pen?

¿Cuáles de los libros quieres? ¿Cuáles son tus plumas? Which (you can pick more than one) of the books do you want? Which are your pens?

Examples

¿Cuándo? = When

EX: ¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños? When is your birthday?

Examples

¿Por qué? = Why?

EX: ¿Por qué va Roberto a la oficina? Why is Roberto going to the office?

Examples

¿Cómo? = How? (sometimes “what”)

EX: ¿Cómo estás hoy? How are you feeling today?¿Cómo te llamas?What is your name?

Examples

¿Dónde? = Where? ¿Adónde? (if the answer has “to”)(Often with IR)

EX: ¿Dónde está mi mochila? Where is my backpack?

¿Adónde vas? (To) where are you going?

Examples

¿Cuánto/a/os/as? = How much/many?

EX: ¿Cuánto te gusta el chocolate?How much do you like chocolate?¿Cuántos estudiantes hay en la clase? How many students are there in class?

¿Cuántas chicas sacan buenas notas?How many girls get good grades?

Examples

� There are 3 ways you can form a question.

� You already know 1 of them! ☺

How to form a question ..

#1) Just change the tone of your voice and add question marks on both ends.

Example:

Statement: Marta es baja.= Marta is shortQuestion: ¿Marta es baja?= Is Marta short?

Method 1

#2) Another way to form a question in Spanish is to switch the subject and the verb. Also add the question marks!

Example:

Statement: Tú compras unos zapatos.= You are buying some

shoes.¿Compras tú unos zapatos?= Are you buying some

shoes?

Method 2

#3) The third way to form a question is to follow the formula below. This method is only used when there is a question word like who, what, when, where, how, how many, why….etc.

Question FORMULA:¿ Question word + verb + subject + rest of sentence?

Method 3

Example:Why does Ana rest on Mondays?

Using the Question Formula:¿Por qué descansa Ana los lunes?

Q mark Q word verb subject rest of sent.

Method 3-Example

1) When is Miguel arriving at the gym?2) How is your math class?3) Where are they?4) Why are we waiting in the office?5) Who is Eva’s brother?6) What is your favorite class?

You Practice w/ method 3:

Check your answers…..