que / quen / onde / cando / como
Question Words
Start an information question with a question word: que (what), quen (who), onde (where), cando (when), como (how). Onde vives? (Where do you live?)
How It Works
The five words
- que: what. Que queres? (What do you want?) It can go before a noun: Que hora é? (What time is it?)
- quen: who. Quen é? (Who is it?)
- onde: where. Onde vives? (Where do you live?)
- cando: when. Cando vés? (When are you coming?)
- como: how. Como estás? (How are you?)
Prepositions go first. English often leaves a preposition at the end ("Where are you from?"), but Galician puts it before the question word: De onde es? (Where are you from?), Con quen falas? (Who are you talking to?)
No accent marks. Galician writes que, quen, onde, cando, como without an accent, in questions and in exclamations alike. The same is true of cal and canto. An accent is allowed only in a rare indirect question where it avoids confusion, as in Dille qué queres (Tell him what you want).
Quen is invariable. It has no plural form. Even when you ask about several people, it stays quen, and the verb can be plural: Quen son eses? (Who are those people?)
Pronouns move forward. After a question word, an object pronoun goes before the verb: Como te chamas? (What is your name?) See pronouns in wh-questions.
Examples (6)
- Onde vives?
Where do you live?
Word by Word: Where you-live?
- Quen é?
Who is it?
- Que queres?
What do you want?
- Cando vés?
When are you coming?
Word by Word: When you-come?
Vés (you come) has an accent to tell it apart from ves (you see).
- Como estás?
How are you?
- De onde es?
Where are you from?
Word by Word: From where you-are?
The preposition de goes before onde.
Common Mistakes
Adding a Spanish-style accent to the question word.
Ónde vives?Onde vives?In direct questions, Galician question words take no written accent: onde, que, quen, cando, como.
Making quen plural.
Quenes son?Quen son?Quen has no plural form. The verb can be plural, but quen stays the same.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- cal / calesWhich: Cal and Cales
The question word for choosing among options.
Level 1 - canto / canta / cantos / cantasHow Much and How Many
The question word for quantity and price.
Level 1 - por que / porqueWhy and Because
How to ask why and answer because.
Level 1 - Pronouns Before the Verb in Wh- Questions
Question words pull object pronouns in front of the verb.
Level 2 - Yes/No Questions
Questions answered with yes or no, which need no question word.
Level 1 - Indirect Questions
The same words used inside a longer sentence, such as Non sei onde vive.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice que / quen / onde / cando / como in Bubblegum
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