Say What? Qué vs Cuál in Spanish Questions

Figuring out the difference between qué vs cuál isn’t just about learning their translations. At first sight, you might feel like they’re easy to understand since one translates to “what” and the other to “which.” But there are some scenarios you can run into like, “¿Cuál es tu número de teléfono?” (What is your phone number?) where the word cuál translates to “what,” not “which.” In this guide, we’ll explore the uses of the interrogative words qué and cuál and teach you in what situations to use each one.

Uses of Qué

Qué is an interrogative word that usually translates to “what.” But it’s a versatile word that can be used in a variety of question to gather information. Let’s look at the most common uses for the question word qué.

Qué for Specifics

One of the most common uses for qué is to ask for specific information. This way, we can get definite answers instead of generalized ones. Keep in mind that when you use qué for this purpose, you often get short answers. For example, if you ask, “¿Qué hora es?” (What time is it?) you’ll receive a precise answer like, “Son las 3:30 p.m.” (It’s 3:30 p.m.).

Here are some other examples:

• ¿Qué significa “exit”? / What does “exit” mean?
• ¿Qué es eso? / What is that?
• ¿Qué dice ahí? / What does it say there?
• ¿Qué vamos a comer? / What are we going to eat?

Qué for Definitions and Explanations

You can also use qué to ask for a definition or explanation. Unlike when we use qué to ask for specifics, you can get longer answers when you use it this way. In Spanish, this allows us to get a clarification about a place, someone, or something.

Here are some examples:

• ¿Qué puedo hacer con esta aplicación? / What can I do with this app?
• ¿Qué son esos sonidos? / What are those sounds?
• ¿Qué haces después del trabajo? / What do you do after work?

Qué for Asking About Preferences

With qué, you can ask about other people’s preferences. This can be tricky at times because, in some cases, it’s possible to translate qué as both “what” or “which.” For example, “¿Qué libro te encanta?” can translate to, “What book do you love?” or “Which book do you love?” However, when we use qué for this purpose, we’re not asking the person to choose from a specific group, as is the case when we use cuál.

Let’s see some examples:

• ¿Qué género musical te gusta? / What music genre do you like?
• ¿Qué sabor de helado te gusta? / What ice cream flavor do you like?
• ¿Qué tipo de bocaditos prefieres? / What kind of snacks do you prefer?
• ¿Qué deporte quieres practicar? / What sport do you want to practice?

Uses of Cuál

Cuál is also a question word that can translate to “which” or “what.” But, unlike qué, cuál is mostly used to choose an answer among a specific group of options. Because of this, you’re more likely to get a specific answer rather than an explanation when you use this word. These are some of the most common uses for cuál in Spanish.

Cuál for Choosing an Option in a Finite Group

The most common use for cuál is to ask someone to pick something from a set of options. When we do this, the options are finite and defined by a group. For example, if you ask someone, “¿Cuál de estas esculturas comprarías?” ( Which of these sculptures would you buy?) you’re asking which one they would choose from the statues available. You should also note that you can also use the plural form of cuál (cuáles) to tell someone to choose more than one option.

Here are some more examples:

• ¿Cuál de todas estas películas vamos a ver? / Which one of all these movies are we going to watch?
• ¿Cuál de estos suéteres vas a comprar? / Which of these sweaters are you going to buy?
• ¿Cuáles libros quieres leer? / Which books do you want to read?
• ¿Cuáles son tus números de la suerte? / Which are your lucky numbers?

Cuál for Identification

In Spanish, we also use cuál to identify people or objects in a group. Note that when we use cuál this way, cuál is often followed by a conjugation of the verb ser (to be). This helps us point out to the group of options we want someone to choose from. You can also use the plural form cuáles if you’re asking someone to identify more than one subject or noun. For example, it’s correct to say, “¿Cuáles son tus zapatos?” (Which are your shoes?).

Let’s see some other examples:

• ¿Cuál es tu casa? / Which is your house?
• ¿Cuál es su vehículo? / Which is your vehicle?
• ¿Cuáles son más caros? / Which are more expensive?
• ¿Cuáles son las ciudades más grandes del país? / Which are the biggest cities in the country?

Cuál for Asking About Personal Information

Sometimes you’ll see cuál translated to “what” instead of “which” when asking for someone’s personal information. This is more common in questions about personal details such as age, relationship status, address, phone number, among others.

Let’s see some examples:

• ¿Cuál es tu apellido? / What is your last name?
• ¿Cuál es tu estado civil? / What is your marital status?
• ¿Cuál es su dirección de oficina? / What is your office address?

Cuál for Asking About Preferences

It’s also possible to use cuál to ask about preferences. However, the main difference when we use cuál for this use is that we’re asking about a closed group. This means that the receiver has to make a choice from a defined set of options.

For example:

• ¿Cuáles son tus frutas favoritas? / Which are your favorite fruits?
• ¿Cuál prefieres tú? / Which one do you prefer?
• ¿Cuáles son los bolsos que más te gustan? / Which are the bags that you like the most?
• ¿Cuáles quieres llevar al viaje? / Which do you want to bring on the trip?

When Do You Use/Not Use Accent Marks For Qué and Cuál?

Accent marks can change the meaning of your message in Spanish, and qué and cuál are good examples. Luckily, understanding the difference is simple. In Spanish, we write qué and cuál (or cuáles) with an accent when we’re asking a question. For example:

• ¿Qué estás haciendo? / What are you doing?
• ¿Cuál de estos es tu suéter? / Which one is your sweater?
• ¿Cuáles quieres donar a la iglesia? / Which ones do you want to donate to the church?

On the other hand, we write que and cual without an accent in affirmative and negative sentences. For example:

• Él es el chico que me ayudó. / He is the guy who helped me.
• Necesito que vayas a la oficina. / I need you to go to the office.
• Esta es aerolínea en la cual viaje a España. / This is the airline with which I traveled to Spain.
• Esa es la ciudad en la cual nació el pintor famoso. / That is the city in which the famous painter was born.
• Estos son los escalones con los cuales siempre tropiezo. / These are the steps on which I always trip.

Ways to Practice Qué vs Cuál

If you want to become a natural at using qué vs cuál, you’ll need to make time for practice. The good news is that there are Spanish learning resources for all levels of learners. And, you can combine them to create the best study routine for your needs and schedule.

Spanish language apps have interactive lessons to quickly increase your vocabulary, and they’re fun to use. But, if you’re looking for more detailed explanations and examples, you might enjoy studying with Spanish books. If you don’t have too much free time, you always listen to a Spanish podcast to develop your listening skills on the go. Or, if you want to learn more about the language while you test your knowledge, try watching Spanish YouTube videos made by native speakers.

Qué vs Cuál: Final Thoughts

I hope this guide has cleared your doubts about qué vs cuál! These are two essential question words, and understanding then will make communicating in Spanish much easier. Now that you know how to apply them, try using them when you speak Spanish. The more you practice, the easier it’ll be to remember when you need to use qué vs cuál.