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Interrogator

Interrogator

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How to ask questions in Spanish (qué, dónde, cuándo, cuánto)

Ask for directions, prices, and plans — and keep a real conversation moving, out loud.

GRAMMAR PACK · 8 LESSONS · A1

Spanish never uses a 'do' helper — take the statement and raise your voice at the end: ¿hablas español? is do you speak Spanish? For details, start straight with an accented question word plus the verb: ¿dónde vives?, ¿cuándo llega el bus?, ¿cuánto cuesta? Before ser + a noun, use cuál, not qué: ¿cuál es tu nombre? And to confirm something you already suspect, tag the end: hablas español, ¿verdad?

Below: the question words one by one, what changes between Mexico and Argentina, the slips that give beginners away — and a way to practise asking them in a live exchange, no drills, no worksheets.

Say this

The phrases that carry the conversation

question words qué and quién

  • ¿qué comes hoy?what are you eating today?
  • ¿qué haces los sábados?what do you do on Saturdays?
  • ¿quién es él?who is he?
  • ¿quién habla inglés?who speaks English?

question words dónde and cuándo

  • ¿dónde vives?where do you live?
  • ¿dónde está el baño?where is the bathroom?
  • ¿cuándo llega el bus?when does the bus arrive?
  • ¿cuándo es la fiesta?when is the party?

question words cómo and cuánto

  • ¿cómo estás?how are you?
  • ¿cómo se dice 'book'?how do you say 'book'?
  • ¿cuánto cuesta?how much does it cost?
  • ¿cuántos hermanos tienes?how many siblings do you have?

Regional Spanish

What locals actually say

Textbooks teach one word. Locals use several — pick your region's and stay consistent.

EnglishMexicoArgentina
do you speak Spanish?¿hablas español?¿hablás español?
how much does it cost?¿cuánto cuesta?¿cuánto sale?
what are you doing?¿qué haces?¿qué hacés?
…right? (tag question)¿no? / ¿va?¿viste?

Watch out

Mistakes that mark you as a textbook speaker

  1. Learner uses 'qué' to ask 'what's your name'.use 'cuál' — '¿cuál es tu nombre?'
  2. Learner forgets the opening '¿' or the accent on question words.written Spanish uses '¿...?' and accents on qué, quién, dónde, etc.
  3. Learner translates 'do you' literally ('¿haces tú hablar?').Spanish doesn't use 'do' — just '¿hablas español?'

The part no drill site can do

No flashcards. You learn it by using it

Carla, &Be grammar teacher

Carla

Your grammar teacher for this pack

There are no worksheets in the Interrogator lessons and nothing to transform on paper — you talk, and Carla makes you the one doing the asking. She has you fire three real questions at her with qué, dónde and cuándo, then runs a market beat where you need ¿cuánto cuesta? and ¿cuál te gusta más? about things you actually buy. When she asks ¿por qué estudias español?, you answer — and ask her right back. Out loud, until asking stops feeling like an exam.

Blank mid-sentence and nothing bad happens — she waits. That's the practice, without unnecessary judgement.

Finish the 8 lessons and Interrogator is yours — earned, not given.

Download on the App Store First 10 lessons free · 10-minute spoken lessons · your AI coaching team remembers you

Quick answers

Questions people ask

How do you ask a question in Spanish without 'do'?

You don't translate 'do' at all. Say the statement with rising intonation: ¿hablas español?, ¿vives aquí?, ¿tienes hambre? The rise in your voice is the question.

What are the Spanish question words?

qué (what), quién (who), dónde (where), cuándo (when), cómo (how), cuánto (how much), cuál (which), por qué (why) — and every one carries a written accent when it's a question.

When do you use cuál instead of qué?

Use cuál before ser + a noun: ¿cuál es tu nombre?, ¿cuál es tu color favorito? Asking these with qué is the single most common beginner slip.

How do you say 'how much does it cost' in Spanish?

¿cuánto cuesta? — though in Argentina and Uruguay you'll hear ¿cuánto sale? For counting, use cuántos: ¿cuántos hermanos tienes?

What does ¿verdad? mean at the end of a sentence?

It's a tag — right?: hablas español, ¿verdad?, vives en Lima, ¿no? Locals vary it by region: ¿va? in Mexico, ¿viste? in Argentina, ¿oíste? in the Caribbean.