Why are questions used in Spanish when a statment could be used?
Hello,
I am just wondering if anyone can explain this to me (if there is an explanation for it). Why is it is Spanish question are sometimes used instead of statements. For example:
Tomar café no nos permitían. ¿Fumar? Podíamos hacerlo en el cuarto de baño, encerrados con llave, hasta que Labuelo nos sacó la llave. ¿Mujeres? Conseguíamos siempre las peores y, en el mejor de los casos, podíamos estar con ellas cinco minutos. Bailes, teatros, diversiones, amigos, todo estaba vedado.
Why are the questions like ¿Fumar? asked? Is it just for emphesis?
Any ideas on this would be great.
Thanks in advance.
4 Answers
it´s what is known as rethorical question.
A rhetorical question is a figure of speech in the form of a question posed for its persuasive effect without the expectation of a reply .
Rhetorical questions encourage the listener to think about what the answer to the question must be or to create an expectation to what is going to be said next.
Hello Cathy, welcome to the Forum.
I don't think that this construction is unique of Spanish. It works in English the same way, don't you think?
"We weren't allowed to drink coffee. Smoking? Only locked in the bathroom. Women? Nope. Dancing? Forget it."
I think it is a narrative device, more than an idiosyncrasy of the language.
It is similar to a "tag question" in English.
Example: "You don't like me, do you?
Depending on your voice intonation on the tag "do you" you may already know the answer is "no I don't". As said above it is rethorical if the intonation is "down".
In other words it does not need an answer.
