How to Ask Basic Questions in Spanish

If you want to ask simple questions in Spanish, two key words to remember are "qué" (what) and "cómo" (how).

Let’s check out some examples!

Examples of Questions

1. Using "qué":

   • ¿Qué es esto? (What is this?)
   • ¿Qué haces? (What are you doing?)

2. Using "cómo":

   • ¿Cómo te llamas? (What is your name?)
   • ¿Cómo estás? (How are you?)

Important Grammar Points

• Present Tense for Regular Verbs:

  • For verbs that end in -ar (like hablar):

    • yo hablo (I talk)
    • tú hablas (you talk)

  • For verbs that end in -er (like comer):

    • yo como (I eat)
    • tú comes (you eat)

  • For verbs that end in -ir (like vivir):

    • yo vivo (I live)
    • tú vives (you live)

• Personal Pronouns:

  • yo (I)
  • tú (you)
  • él/ella (he/she)
  • nosotros/as (we)
  • vosotros/as (you all)
  • ellos/as (they)

• Using "ser" and "estar":

  • Ser means to be always:

    • Yo soy estudiante. (I am a student.)

  • Estar means to be for a short time:

    • Estoy feliz. (I am happy.)

• Making Questions:

  • To ask a question, you can change the order of the subject and the verb. For example, "Tú hablas" (You talk) becomes "¿Hablas tú?" (Do you talk?).

• Simple Negation:

  • To say something is not happening, just use "no" before the verb:
    • No hablo español. (I do not speak Spanish.)

Now you’re all set to ask basic questions in Spanish! Keep practicing, and soon, you’ll be speaking confidently!