Learn the Most Common Spanish Interrogative Words

Learn the Most Common Spanish Interrogative Words

giant question mark next to a woman in deep thought

Being curious is one of the most important qualities of a good language learner, and asking a lot of questions reflects that. Today we will learn how to use ¿cómo?, ¿por qué?, and ¿cuánto?, which are some of the most common interrogative words in Spanish.


How to use ¿cómo?

This interrogative word means “how,” and we use it to ask about methods or processes. ¿Cómo? usually goes at the beginning of the interrogative sentence, and it must always have an orthographic accent on the first vowel. Let’s take a look at some examples:

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Ask questions with ¿por qué? 

Por qué means “why,” and it is also used at the beginning of interrogative sentences. It is important to remember that in Spanish, interrogative sentences have one question mark at the beginning and a second one that closes the question at the end.

A cityscape stands below gray clouds on what appears to be a windy day
What’s with this grey and humid August sky?
Image by Kehl Mack from Pixabay


Find out quantities with ¿cuánto?

Cuánto and its feminine cuánta are also very useful interrogative words to ask “how much?” or “how many?” We use them on a daily basis to inquire about prices when we go shopping and if we want to know about quantities.

Now you know how to use these interrogative words in Spanish sentences. Remember to continue learning and being curious!


Written by Isabel Matos