What--Que
Concept: 'What' Translation in Mexican Spanish
Purpose:
Understanding how the word "what" is translated into different forms in Mexican Spanish depending on context.
Key Idea:
In Mexican Spanish, the word "what" can take different forms based on how it’s used. The most common translations are "qué", "cuál/cuáles", and sometimes "cómo" in idiomatic or colloquial expressions. These changes depend on whether you’re asking a question, making an exclamation, or referring to something in a relative sense.
Use Case:
Below are different contexts where "what" translates into various words in Mexican Spanish:
-
Questions:
- ¿Qué? – Used when asking a general question.
- Example: ¿Qué haces? (What are you doing?)
- ¿Cuál/cuáles? – Used when referring to options or choices.
- Example: ¿Cuál es tu favorito? (Which one is your favorite?)
- ¿Qué? – Used when asking a general question.
-
Exclamations:
- ¡Qué! – Used to express emphasis or surprise.
- Example: ¡Qué sorpresa! (What a surprise!)
- ¡Qué! – Used to express emphasis or surprise.
-
Relative Pronoun:
- Lo que – Used when referring to "the thing that" or "what."
- Example: Eso es lo que quiero. (That’s what I want.)
- Lo que – Used when referring to "the thing that" or "what."
-
Colloquial Usage:
- ¿Cómo? – Used to clarify something someone said, often in place of "what?".
- Example: ¿Cómo? (What?/Pardon?)
- ¿Cómo te llamas? – Although it literally means "How do you call yourself?", it translates as "What is your name?" in English.
- ¿Cómo? – Used to clarify something someone said, often in place of "what?".
-
Colloquial Greeting:
- ¿Qué onda? – A common informal greeting meaning "What’s up?" or "How’s it going?"
Comprehensive Mermaid Chart:
flowchart LR
A['What' in Mexican Spanish] --> B{Context}
B --> C[Questions]
B --> D[Exclamations]
B --> E[Relative Pronoun]
B --> F[Colloquial Expressions]
C --> G[Que? - General questions]
C --> H[Cual/cuales? - Questions about choices]
D --> I[Que! - Used for emphasis or surprise]
E --> J[Lo que - The thing that / What]
F --> K[Como? - What? Clarification]
F --> L[Como te llamas? - What is your name?]
F --> M[Que onda? - What's up?]
Explanation:
In Mexican Spanish, the translation of "what" is context-dependent:
- ¿Qué? and ¿Cuál/cuáles? are used for questions.
- ¡Qué! is used for exclamations.
- Lo que functions as a relative pronoun.
- Colloquial expressions like ¿Cómo? for clarification, ¿Cómo te llamas? for asking someone's name, and ¿Qué onda? for a casual greeting also illustrate unique uses of "what."
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