More on qué and que

Question

This is a follow-up to Redimida's discussion yesterday. Are the following two sentences written correctly? (I made them up.)

Dime qué estás haciendo.
Dime que tengo que hacer.

Or should the second one also use qué?

Can anyone provide better examples of qué vs. que? It would be particularly interesting to have comments on how the prosody (borrowing Monica´s term) changes -- that is, how the inflection and pause or lack thereof tell the listener what's being said.

Answer 1

Redimida said:

Wouldn't it be? Dime lo qué tengo que hacer.

No, it is wrong, it shouldn't have an accent. The word "lo" generally translates as "the thing (that)":

Dime lo que tengo que hacer = Tell me the thing that I have to do

Of course, you'd say "Tell me what to do", but using "the thing (that)" helps understand the Spanish construction better.

James Santiago said:

I can't think of any possible scenario in which the words "lo qué? would ever be used together. Is there one?

The only case where it would be justified is in colloquial dialogues like this one:

A) Me molesta lo zafio.
B) ¿Lo qué?

It can be heard in conversations, but it is unacceptable in formal Spanish, where "¿Qué'" or "¿El qué"? are the correct choices.

Answer 2

No, that is incorrect, I'm sure.

Answer 3

Wouldn't it be? Dime lo qué tengo que hacer.

lazarus1907 said:

Both are "qué".Dime qué tengo que hacer. - Tell me what do I have to do (= tell me what to do)Dime que tengo que hacer. - Tell me that I have to do ''''Generally, que = that, qué = what.

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Answer 4

Generally, que = that, qué = what.

That's a good rule of thumb, to which we could add the possibly confusing rule that "what" can also be "lo que." I can't think of any possible scenario in which the words "lo qué? would ever be used together. Is there one'

Answer 5

Lazarus suggested this one:

A better one:

Imagino qué quiere. - I guess what he wants
Imagino que quiere. - I guess that he wants (to)

(If Firefox ever starts being nice to me again, I will approve it so it shows on my comment page.)

Answer 6

Oops, I meant to write "Me dijo." Thanks.

lazarus1907 said:

Natasha said:

Me dije que tuve que limpiar el baño.

Which one would you say'I told myself what I had to clean the bathroom (qué)I told myself that I had to clean the bathroom (que)

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Answer 7

Natasha said:

Me dije que tuve que limpiar el baño.

Which one would you say?

I told myself what I had to clean the bathroom (qué)
I told myself that I had to clean the bathroom (que)

Answer 8

How about this:

Me dije que tuve que limpiar el baño.

lazarus1907 said:

Both are "qué".

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Answer 9

Both are "qué".

Dime qué tengo que hacer. - Tell me what do I have to do (= tell me what to do)
Dime que tengo que hacer. - Tell me that I have to do '''?

Generally, que = that, qué = what.