Question words
| Word | Asks about | Spanish | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| What | things, information | qué / cuál | What is your name? · What do you want? |
| Where | places | dónde | Where do you live? · Where is the bank? |
| Who | people | quién | Who is she? · Who do you call? |
| When | time | cuándo | When does the film start? · When is your birthday? |
| Why | reason | por qué | Why are you late? · Why do you study English? |
| How | manner, way | cómo | How are you? · How do you go to work? |
| Which | choice between options | cuál / cuáles | Which colour do you prefer? |
| How much | quantity (uncountable) | cuánto | How much water do you drink? |
| How many | quantity (countable) | cuántos/as | How many brothers do you have? |
| How old | age | cuántos años | How old are you? |
Word order in wh- questions
The question word goes first, then the auxiliary, then the subject:
| Question word | Auxiliary | Subject | Verb | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where | do | you | live | ? |
| What | does | she | eat | for breakfast? |
| When | do | they | finish | work? |
| How old | are | you | — | ? |
What vs Which:
Use what when there are many (unlimited) options: "What is your favourite colour?" Use which when choosing between a limited set: "Which do you prefer — coffee or tea?" At A1 level, "what" is the safer choice.
How + adjective
| Expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| How old …? | age | How old is she? — She's 25. |
| How tall …? | height | How tall are you? — I'm 1m80. |
| How far …? | distance | How far is the station? — 5 minutes. |
| How long …? | duration | How long does it take? — 20 minutes. |
| How often …? | frequency | How often do you exercise? — Every day. |
Exercise
1. "______ do you live?" — "In Madrid."
2. "______ is your birthday?" — "On the 15th of July."
3. "______ old are you?" — "I'm twenty-three."
4. "______ is your teacher?" — "Her name is Ms García."
5. "______ many students are in your class?" — "Twenty."