10 Crucial Ways to Use “Que” in Spanish

Have you ever wondered how to use “que” in Spanish? It seems like a small and pretty insignificant word, right? Well, you’ll be amazed to discover how many different ways you can use it and how its meaning changes depending on how you use it.

“What?!” you may say. 

Yes. Just look back at the title. 

So, keep reading to learn about the extraordinary que, the different ways you can use it, and how a little accent mark on it can change the meaning of a sentence.

Say What?

The little word que is one of those ubiquitous pieces of language that seem to hold everything together.   You can find que everywhere, from questions to conjunctions and interjections. It’s just a fundamental piece of the Spanish language. 

In fact, native Spanish speakers use the word “que” extremely often—it is generally the 2nd most frequently used word in the entire language, right behind the definite article “el/la” (the). It appears an average of 25 to 30 times in every 1,000 words

Therefore, you must learn how to use its different meanings properly. 

Que and Qué

When looking for the meaning of que, you have to consider whether the word has an accent or not. The word is the same, but can be used differently, and the accent plays a critical role.

In a minute, we’ll explore the different meanings of que, but now you must understand that when que has an accent, as in qué, it is because it’s part of a question, an exclamation, or an interjection. 

Look for question or exclamation marks in a sentence; if they are there, it’s likely that the que has a written accent. Spanish speakers call this accent a tilde. 

However, it’s important to mention that the accent means that the word plays a different role in the sentence. 

Let’s dig deeper.

What Does “Que” Mean in Spanish?

As explained before, que in Spanish has different meanings. Let’s explore ten of them.

1. What

This might be the definition that people use the most. However, just as in English, you can use “what” in different ways. 

In Spanish, you can also use this version of que in different situations.  Most times, when que means “what,” it’s part of a question or exclamation and, as such, should be written with an accent.

¿Qué me compraste?

What did you buy me?

¡Qué gran película!

What a great movie!

2. Which

Although most of the time questions starting with ¿Qué…? translate as “what,” sometimes the proper translation is “which.” 

Take a look at the following examples: 

¿Qué color prefieres, el rojo o el azul?

Which color do you prefer, red or blue?

¿Qué auto es?

Which car is it?

The key to identifying if ¿Qué…? means “what” or “which” is in the Spanish word cuál. If you can change qué for cuál in the question, then it definitely means “which.”

¿Cuál color prefieres, el rojo o el azul?

Which color do you prefer, red or blue?

¿Cuál auto es?

Which car is it?

3. How

When you use qué with an accent, it usually means that your sentence is an exclamation or an interjection. 

In the cases mentioned above, ¡Qué…! usually translates as “What…!”. But there are some cases when “How…!” is the best translation. 

Look at these examples: 

¡Qué hermoso!

How beautiful! 

¡Qué maravilloso!

How wonderful!

The actual meaning of que here depends on the adjective used in the sentence. So, if you translate a sentence using “what” and it sounds off, try “how” to see how that works. 

4. That

One of the most common ways to translate que (without an accent) is as “that.” In this case, the role of que is that of a pronoun used to define a subject or object. 

Esta es la casa que quiero para nosotros. 

This is the house that I want for us. 

In some cases, you can also use que in a subjunctive phrase to express a desire or suggestion, and it also translates as “that.”

Desearía que nunca te hubieras ido. 

I wish that you’d never left. 

5. Than

When used in a comparison, que in Spanish can also mean “than.”

Su casa es más vieja que la mía. 

His house is older than mine. 

6. To

Another translation for que in Spanish is “to,” and you use it when you compare two or more different things. 

Prefiero tacos que hamburguesas. 

I prefer tacos to burgers. 

In some situations, you use que to express a need or requirement. In these cases, que comes after the verb tener or “to have,” which translates as “to.”

Tengo que ir a casa por mi hermana. 

I have to go home to pick up my sister. 

7. Who, Whom

This may shock you, but in other times, que may also mean “who” or “whom” when used to define the subject. 

Este es el hombre que me salvó la vida. 

This is the man who saved my life. 

8. May

In some subjunctive phrases that express wish or desire, you can use que, which translates as “may.” Are there any Star Wars fans out there?

Que la Fuerza te acompañe. 

May the Force be with you. 

Que Dios te bendiga. 

May God bless you. 

9. So

You can use que to talk about cause, finality, or consequence. In this case, it functions as a conjunction that connects two phrases and translates as “so.”

Canta un poco para que te escuchen.

Sing a little bit, so they hear you. 

10. Let

Finally, you can also use que to give an order or express a command. 

Que empiecen los juegos.

Let the games begin. 

Some Grammar Structures That Use Que in Spanish

As you can see, there are many ways to use que, and its meaning varies accordingly. You can also find que in some compound grammar structures and phrases. This means even more ways to use this word. 

Let’s learn some of them and their meanings in English: 

Spanish	English
por qué/porque	why/because
lo que sea	whatever
mientras que	meanwhile/as long as
para que/qué	for what/in order to
ya que	inasmuch as, being that
en que	in which, in that

 

¿Qué te parece?

This means, “What do you think?” It isn’t that hard, right? We know. Sometimes you may confuse one use with another, but you’ll get them all right with time and practice. 

Remember that the important thing is to practice. The best way to learn is through experience. 

So, we invite you to sign up for a free trial class with one of our certified, native Spanish-speaking teachers from Homeschool Spanish Academy and start using “que” in all its forms from day one.

Join one of the 40,000 classes that we teach each month and you can experience results like these

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