As you know from your experience with the game “Twenty Questions,” it isn't always very practical to gather all the information you need with yes-or-no questions. Sometimes you just want to cut to the chase and get the facts. These types of questions use interrogative words in front of the verb to specify what sort of information is being requested. The question word “who” requests the identity of a person; “what” identifies things; “when,” a time; “where,” a location; “how,” a way; and “why,” a reason. The same kinds of words are used in Spanish informational questions. Look at the following table of Spanish and English question words:

Interrogative Words

Accents on Interrogatives

Remember that Spanish interrogative words always have an accent mark on the vowel of the stressed syllable, whether the interrogative appears in a direct question or embedded in a question or statement:

¿Quién es? (Who is it?)

¿Sabes quién es? (Do you know who it is?)

No sé quién es. (I don't know who it is.)

The accent mark has nothing to do with pronunciation in these cases; it simply differentiates the interrogatives from the relative pronouns, which we'll learn about in the last section of this chapter.

The interrogatives quién and quiénes are followed by the singular and plural conjugation of the verb, respectively: ¿Quién vive allí?, ¿Quiénes viven allí? All the other question words are followed by a verb conjugated according to the subject of the question, for example, ¿Dónde trabaja tu novio?, ¿Cuándo comen los niños?

Interrogatives and Prepositions

Some interrogatives can be modified with a preposition to alter the questions slightly. For example:

¿A quién(es) … ? (To whom?, For whom … ?)

¿Para quién(es) … ? (For whom … ?)

¿De quién(es) … ? (From whom … ?)

¿A qué hora … ? (At what time … ?)

¿Para qué … ? (For what … ?)

¿En qué … ? (In what … ?)

¿En cuál(es) … ? (In which … ?)

¿Adónde … ? (To where … ?)

¿De dónde … ? (From where … ?)

¿Hasta cuándo … ? (Until when … ?)

Ask Questions

Look at the following answers and write the question that would solicit each response. The hints in bold will help you decide which part of the answer to link to the question. Check your work in Appendix D. There may be some variation, but the answer key should help you confirm your understanding of question formation.

• Juan y Martín viven en Guadalajara.

• Yo trabajo en la galería Indigo.

• Para preparar flan necesitas huevos, leche y azúcar.

• Estamos muy bien, gracias.

• La señora Martínez enseña español porque le gusta.

• Creo que mis amigos van al Uruguay en septiembre.

• El cine es más interesante que el teatro.

• La película comienza a las ocho.

• Este regalo es de mi abuelo.

• Para aprender una lengua nueva es importante practicar.

• Mi mamá toma mucho café.

• Hay veinte personas en la clase.

TRACK 21

Imagine you have just made a new acquaintance while on vacation in Paraguay. Listen to Track 21 and answer your new friend's questions in complete sentences. (The text is not shown here because this exercise is meant to be a more challenging exercise.) Then listen again as you look at the sample answers in Appendix D.