49 Common Spanish Questions and Answers for Beginners

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A small set of Spanish questions can carry a surprisingly long conversation. You ask, listen for one useful detail, then use that detail for your next question.

This guide gives you the question words, the two main sentence patterns and 49 common Spanish questions with sample answers. Learn the pattern behind each one, then swap in the people, places and interests that matter to you.

¿Empezamos? (“Shall we start?”)

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Spanish Question Words and Question Patterns

Most beginner questions use one of two basic patterns. Information questions normally use an interrogative word to ask for a missing detail, as in ¿Dónde vives? (“Where do you live?”). Questions without an interrogative word can check something, as in ¿Vives aquí? (“Do you live here?”), or offer alternatives, as in ¿Prefieres el mar o la montaña? (“Do you prefer the sea or the mountains?”). Spanish does not add a separate equivalent of the English do or does in either pattern.

Interrogative words such as qué, quién, cómo, cuándo and dónde take a written accent when they carry interrogative force, including in indirect questions. Compare ¿Sabes dónde vive? (“Do you know where he or she lives?”) with No sé dónde vive (“I don't know where he or she lives”). The second sentence has no question marks, but dónde keeps its accent because it still introduces an indirect question.

A useful building process is: decide what information you want, choose a direct or indirect question frame, pick tú, usted or the locally appropriate vos form, then prepare your own answer and one follow-up. A statement such as Hablas español (“You speak Spanish”) becomes the yes-or-no question ¿Hablas español? (“Do you speak Spanish?”). If the missing detail is a place, Ana vive aquí (“Ana lives here”) can become ¿Dónde vive Ana? (“Where does Ana live?”). Spanish often leaves out the subject pronoun because the verb ending already carries that information. Our guide to choosing between tú and usted goes into the regional and register differences.

Who? ¿Quién?

Use quién for one person and quiénes for more than one. The verb normally agrees with that singular or plural meaning.

• ¿Quién viene? (“Who's coming?”)
• ¿Quiénes vienen? (“Who is coming?”, referring to more than one person)
• ¿De quién es este libro? (“Whose book is this?”)

What or Which? ¿Qué? and ¿Cuál?

English “what” and “which” do not map neatly onto one Spanish word. A safe pan-Hispanic beginner pattern is to use qué before a noun, as in ¿Qué libro quieres? (“Which book do you want?”). In some Latin American varieties, cuál also appears before a noun, so you may hear ¿Cuál libro quieres?. When the noun is understood, use cuál or cuáles to identify one or more possibilities: ¿Cuál quieres? (“Which one do you want?”).

With ser, ¿Qué es…? commonly asks for a definition or classification, while ¿Cuál es…? asks someone to identify something. Compare ¿Qué es una tertulia? (“What is a tertulia?”) and ¿Cuál es tu película favorita? (“What's your favourite film?”). That distinction is more reliable than treating qué as factual and cuál as personal.

When? ¿Cuándo?

Use cuándo to ask when something happens: ¿Cuándo llegas? (“When are you arriving?”). When you specifically want a clock time, a qué hora is clearer: ¿A qué hora empieza la película? (“What time does the film start?”).

Where? ¿Dónde?

Dónde asks about a location. Add a preposition when you need a different relationship: ¿De dónde eres? asks “Where are you from?”, while ¿Adónde vas? asks “Where are you going?” Both adónde and a dónde are accepted spellings.

Why? ¿Por qué? and ¿Para qué?

Por qué asks for a reason or cause: ¿Por qué aprendes español? (“Why are you learning Spanish?”). The answer often begins with the single word porque (“because”). Para qué asks about purpose: ¿Para qué sirve esto? (“What is this used for?”). If the difference still feels slippery, the full guide to por and para gives you more context.

How? ¿Cómo?

Cómo asks about manner, method or condition. You will hear it in questions such as ¿Cómo estás? (“How are you?”) and ¿Cómo se hace? (“How is it done?”).

How Many or How Much? ¿Cuánto?

Before a noun, cuánto agrees with that noun in gender and number: ¿Cuánto tiempo?, ¿Cuánta agua?, ¿Cuántos días? and ¿Cuántas preguntas?. When it works as an adverb, it does not change: ¿Cuánto cuesta? (“How much does it cost?”).

How Spanish Question Marks Work

A direct Spanish question opens with ¿ and closes with ?. The opening mark tells you that the question has begun before you reach the end of the sentence.

Put the marks around the part that is actually a question. In Si tienes tiempo, ¿tomamos un café? (“If you have time, shall we have a coffee?”), the condition sits outside the marks. In María, ¿vienes? (“María, are you coming?”), the name also sits outside them.

An indirect-question clause does not take its own question marks. In a statement, write No sé cuándo abre (“I don't know when it opens”). If the whole sentence is itself a direct question, put the marks around the whole sentence: ¿Sabes cuándo abre? (“Do you know when it opens?”). Indirect yes-or-no questions use si: No sé si abre hoy (“I don't know whether it opens today”) and ¿Sabes si abre hoy? (“Do you know whether it opens today?”). Interrogative words such as cuándo keep their written accent. You can find more punctuation examples in our guide to the upside-down question mark.

How to Say “I Have a Question” in Spanish

The direct version is Tengo una pregunta (“I have a question”). You can also ask permission, with the pronouns and verb forms showing the relationship:

• ¿Puedo hacerte una pregunta? (“Can I ask you a question?”, informal singular)
• ¿Puedo hacerle una pregunta? (“Can I ask you a question?”, formal singular)
• ¿Puedo preguntarte algo? (“Can I ask you something?”, informal singular)
• Quería hacerle una pregunta. (“I wanted to ask you a question.”, a polite formal lead-in)

49 Common Spanish Questions and Sample Answers

The questions below mostly use informal singular tú as a broadly understood starting point; many regions use vos instead. Service encounters use polite singular usted forms such as recomienda and puede. Change the verb, pronouns and any gendered words when the person, region or situation changes.

Each sample answer is an independent model, not one speaker's biography. Do not memorise the question on its own. Say the sample answer, replace it with your real answer, then prepare one follow-up. That turns a phrase list into a small conversation.

Introductions

1. ¿Cómo te llamas? (“What's your name?”)
   Sample answer: Me llamo Ana. (“My name is Ana.”)
2. ¿De dónde eres? (“Where are you from?”)
   Sample answer: Soy de Chile. (“I'm from Chile.”)
3. ¿Dónde vives? (“Where do you live?”)
   Sample answer: Vivo en Dublín. (“I live in Dublin.”)
4. ¿A qué te dedicas? (“What do you do?”)
   Sample answer: Trabajo en diseño. (“I work in design.”)
5. ¿Qué estudias? (“What do you study?”)
   Sample answer: Estudio biología. (“I study biology.”)
6. ¿Qué idiomas hablas? (“What languages do you speak?”)
   Sample answer: Hablo español e inglés. (“I speak Spanish and English.”)
7. ¿Cuánto tiempo llevas aprendiendo español? (“How long have you been learning Spanish?”)
   Sample answer: Llevo seis meses aprendiendo español. (“I've been learning Spanish for six months.”)
8. ¿Por qué aprendes español? (“Why are you learning Spanish?”)
   Sample answer: Porque quiero viajar por Sudamérica. (“Because I want to travel around South America.”)
9. ¿Cómo conociste a Marta? (“How did you meet Marta?”)
   Sample answer: La conocí en el trabajo. (“I met her at work.”)
10. ¿Es la primera vez que vienes aquí? (“Is this your first time here?”)
    Sample answer: Sí, es mi primera vez. (“Yes, it's my first time.”)

Getting to Know Someone

11. ¿Qué te gusta hacer en tu tiempo libre? (“What do you like doing in your free time?”)
    Sample answer: Me gusta leer y salir a caminar. (“I like reading and going for walks.”)
12. ¿Qué tipo de música te gusta? (“What kind of music do you like?”)
    Sample answer: Me gusta el jazz. (“I like jazz.”)
13. ¿Cuál es tu película favorita? (“What's your favourite film?”)
    Sample answer: Mi película favorita es Coco. (“My favourite film is Coco.”)
14. ¿Qué libro recomiendas? (“What book do you recommend?”)
    Sample answer: Te recomiendo La sombra del viento. (“I recommend The Shadow of the Wind.”)
15. ¿Tienes alguna afición? (“Do you have a hobby?”)
    Sample answer: Sí, me gusta la fotografía. (“Yes, I like photography.”)
16. ¿Qué haces los fines de semana? (“What do you do at weekends?”)
    Sample answer: Paso tiempo con mis amigos. (“I spend time with my friends.”)
17. ¿Prefieres el mar o la montaña? (“Do you prefer the sea or the mountains?”)
    Sample answer: Prefiero la montaña. (“I prefer the mountains.”)
18. ¿Qué comida te gusta más? (“What food do you like best?”)
    Sample answer: Me gusta más la comida mexicana. (“I like Mexican food best.”)
19. ¿Sabes cocinar? (“Can you cook?”)
    Sample answer: Sí, sé hacer tortilla de patatas. (“Yes, I can make Spanish omelette.”)
20. ¿Qué lugar te gustaría visitar? (“What place would you like to visit?”)
    Sample answer: Me gustaría visitar Colombia. (“I'd like to visit Colombia.”)
21. ¿Qué estás aprendiendo ahora? (“What are you learning now?”)
    Sample answer: Estoy aprendiendo a bailar salsa. (“I'm learning to dance salsa.”)
22. ¿Qué te resulta fácil del español? (“What do you find easy about Spanish?”)
    Sample answer: La pronunciación me resulta bastante fácil. (“I find the pronunciation fairly easy.”)
23. ¿Qué te resulta difícil? (“What do you find difficult?”)
    Sample answer: Me cuestan los tiempos del pasado. (“I struggle with the past tenses.”)
24. ¿Con quién practicas español? (“Who do you practise Spanish with?”)
    Sample answer: Practico con una amiga por videollamada. (“I practise with a friend on video calls.”)
25. ¿Qué objetivo tienes este mes? (“What's your goal this month?”)
    Sample answer: Quiero mantener una conversación de diez minutos. (“I want to hold a ten-minute conversation.”)

People, Friends and Family

Family and relationship questions can be personal. Use them once the other person has opened that topic, and follow their lead rather than working through the list like an interview.

26. ¿Tienes hermanos? (“Do you have any siblings?”)
    Sample answer: Sí, tengo una hermana. (“Yes, I have one sister.”)
27. ¿Tienes hijos? (“Do you have children?”)
    Sample answer: No, no tengo hijos. (“No, I don't have children.”)
28. ¿Con quién vives? (“Who do you live with?”)
    Sample answer: Vivo con dos amigos. (“I live with two friends.”)
29. ¿Tienes alguna mascota? (“Do you have a pet?”)
    Sample answer: Sí, tengo una gata. (“Yes, I have a cat.”)
30. ¿Cómo se llama tu mascota? (“What's your pet called?”)
    Sample answer: Se llama Luna. (“It's called Luna.”)
31. ¿Cómo describirías a tu mejor amigo o amiga? (“How would you describe your best friend?”)
    Sample answer: Es una persona muy paciente. (“They're a very patient person.”)
32. ¿Qué actividades compartes con tus amigos? (“What activities do you share with your friends?”)
    Sample answer: Nos gusta cocinar juntos. (“We like cooking together.”)
33. ¿Con qué frecuencia ves a tu familia? (“How often do you see your family?”)
    Sample answer: La veo una vez al mes. (“I see them once a month.”)
34. ¿Dónde creciste? (“Where did you grow up?”)
    Sample answer: Crecí en un pueblo pequeño. (“I grew up in a small town.”)
35. ¿Qué tradición familiar te gusta más? (“Which family tradition do you like best?”)
    Sample answer: Me gustan las comidas de los domingos. (“I like Sunday meals.”)
36. ¿Con quién hablas cuando necesitas consejo? (“Who do you talk to when you need advice?”)
    Sample answer: Hablo con mi hermana. (“I talk to my sister.”)
37. ¿Qué cualidad valoras en una amistad? (“What quality do you value in a friendship?”)
    Sample answer: Valoro la honestidad. (“I value honesty.”)

Everyday Helpful Questions

38. ¿Qué hora es? (“What time is it?”)
    Sample answer: Son las dos y cuarto. (“It's quarter past two.”)
39. ¿A qué hora abre el museo? (“What time does the museum open?”)
    Sample answer: Abre a las diez. (“It opens at ten.”)
40. ¿Dónde está el baño? (“Where's the toilet?”)
    Sample answer: Está al fondo, a la derecha. (“It's at the back, on the right.”)
41. ¿Cuánto cuesta? (“How much does it cost?”)
    Sample answer: Cuesta doce euros. (“It costs twelve euros.”)
42. ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? (“Can I pay by card?”)
    Sample answer: Sí, claro. (“Yes, of course.”)
43. ¿Cómo llego a la estación? (“How do I get to the station?”)
    Sample answer: Siga todo recto y gire a la izquierda. (“Go straight ahead and turn left.”)
44. ¿Hay wifi? (“Is there Wi-Fi?”)
    Sample answer: Sí, la contraseña está en la carta. (“Yes, the password is on the menu.”)
45. ¿Qué me recomienda? (“What do you recommend?”)
    Sample answer: Le recomiendo el pescado. (“I recommend the fish.”)
46. ¿Qué lleva este plato? (“What's in this dish?”)
    Sample answer: Lleva arroz, verduras y pollo. (“It contains rice, vegetables and chicken.”)
47. ¿Puede repetirlo, por favor? (“Can you repeat that, please?”)
    Sample answer: Claro, lo repito más despacio. (“Of course, I'll repeat it more slowly.”)
48. ¿Qué significa “sobremesa”? (“What does sobremesa mean?”)
    Sample answer: Es el tiempo que pasas a la mesa después de comer. (“It's the time you spend at the table after a meal.”)
49. ¿Cómo se dice “train” en español? (“How do you say ‘train' in Spanish?”)
    Sample answer: Se dice tren. (“You say tren.”)

Turn the List into a Conversation

Pick five questions that fit the people you are likely to meet. Write your real answer to each one, say both sides aloud, then add one natural follow-up such as ¿Y tú? (“And you?”), ¿Por qué? (“Why?”) or a question about one detail you heard.

Use two of those questions in your next practice conversation. Afterwards, note the wording the other person used, especially if it differed from this broadly useful starting set. That is how the list starts turning into Spanish you can retrieve while listening and speaking.

For plenty more prompts, see these Spanish conversation starters. If you want a short, structured route from prepared questions to a real first conversation, Conversation Countdown is built for that.