Question Words
In previous lessons we have looked at how accent marks are used to indicate stress in Spanish. In some cases, however, accent marks are placed on the stressed vowel of a word even though the word's stress follows the rule. That is the case, for the following words when they are used to introduce a direct or implied question or exclamation. When these words are used outside that context, they do not have an accent. Here is a list:
- qué
- quién
- dónde
- cuándo
- cuál
- cómo
- cuánto
Consider the following examples:
- ¿Cómo te llamas?
- No sé cómo se llama ese hombre. (An implied question)
- Ay, qué pena. (An exclamation)
- ¿Cuándo estudias?
- Me gusta escuchar música cuando estudio. (Not a question or exclamation)
- Quiero visitar un lugar donde haga calor. (Not a question or exclamation)
Finally, just for fun, look at this somewhat silly statement:
- ¿Cómo? ¿Cómo como? Como como como.
It means something like What? How do I eat? I eat the way I eat.
When this starts to make sense, try the quiz.