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"De" is a form of "de", a preposition which is often translated as "from". "De qué" is a phrase which is often translated as "what". Learn more about the difference between "de qué" and "de" below.
de qué(
deh
 
keh
)
A phrase is a group of words commonly used together (e.g., once upon a time).
phrase
a. what
Necesito saber de qué se trata.I need to know what it's about.
¿De qué estás hablando?What are you talking about?
b. which
Platicaron acerca de qué escuela iban a elegir para su hija.They talked about which school they would choose for their daughter.
c. from which
¿De qué país eres?Which country are you from?
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de(
deh
)
A preposition is a word that indicates the relationship between a noun and another word (e.g., He ran through the door.).
preposition
a. from
Mis padres vienen de Nicaragua.My parents are from Nicaragua.
a. of
Esta mesa está hecha de plástico.This table is made of plastic.
a.
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
no direct translation
Te recojo en el coche de mi padre.I'll come get you in my father's car.
¿Esa no es la casa de Susana?Isn't that Susana's house?
a. of
La comida era de gran calidad.The food was of great quality.
a. of
Andrés siempre llevaba una bolsa de canicas.Andres always carried around a bag of marbles.
a.
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
no direct translation
Voy a comprar otro traje de baño para el verano.I'm going to buy another bathing suit for the summer.
Se usa la palanca de cambios para cambiar las marchas.You use the gear shift to change the gears.
a. in
Es mejor trabajar de mañana.It is better to work in the morning.
a. with
Me sorprendí llorando de pena al pensar en él.I caught myself crying with sorrow when I thought of him.
A feminine noun is almost always used with feminine articles and adjectives (e.g., la mujer bonita, la luna llena).
feminine noun
a. d
¿Dijiste la letra de o te?Did you say the letter d or t?
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