Word Order in Question Formation
Is there a way in Spanish to differentiate the question "Why doesn't Juan want to eat the whale?" vs. "Why doesn't the whale want to eat Juan?" Couldn't "¿Por qué no quiere comer Juan la ballena?" mean both of those things? In other words, how do you clarify which is the subject and which is the direct object? Does word order have anything to do with it or is it just intonation?
2 Answers
Hello señoritaMac,
Welcome to the SpanishDict forum 
You asked:
Is there a way in Spanish to differentiate the question "Why doesn't Juan want to eat the whale?" vs. "Why doesn't the whale want to eat Juan?" Couldn't "¿Por qué no quiere comer Juan la ballena?" mean both of those things? In other words, how do you clarify which is the subject and which is the direct object? Does word order have anything to do with it or is it just intonation?
I would say:
Why doesn't Juan want to eat the whale? = ¿Por qué Juan no quiere comer la ballena?
vs Why doesn't the whale want to eat Juan? = ¿Por qué la ballena no quiere comer Juan?
Of course you could write the question as you did:
¿Por que no quiere comer Juan, la ballena? = Why doesn't Juan wish to eat the whale?
or in reverse: ¿Por qué no quiere comer la ballena, Juan? = Why doesn't the whale not wish to eat Juan?
Spanish is often flexible about the word order, but I prefer to construct sentences according to the very first two examples I have given above because it is much clearer in these earlier examples who is doing what to whom! (the agent of the action and the recipient of the same action!)
Yes, I believe that the word order is significant/important in differentiating between the subject and object of the sentence.
The subject is mentioned first, then the direct object.
In example 1. Juan is the subject which is acting on the direct object; the whale.
In contrast in sentence number 2. the roles are reversed and the whele (subject) is acting on the direct object: Juan.
I hope this helps
Corrijan mi español, por favor
Is there a way in Spanish to differentiate the question "Why doesn't Juan want to eat the whale?" vs. "Why doesn't the whale want to eat Juan?" Couldn't "¿Por qué no quiere comer Juan la ballena?" mean both of those things? In other words, how do you clarify which is the subject and which is the direct object? Does word order have anything to do with it or is it just intonation?
Normally the subject immediately folllows the verb in a sentence, and people get a personal a when direct objects but not subjects.
"¿Por qué no quiere comer Juan la ballena?" to me would say why doesn't Juan want to eat the whale.
"¿Por qué no quiere comer la ballena a Juan?" to me would say why doesn't the whale want to eat Juan.
Just my opinion. I could be wrong.
