"Qué" vs. "Cuál"

Quick Answer

In Spanish, quéand cuálare interrogative pronouns and interrogative adjectives that can mean what, which, or even how (much).

Questions This Article Answers

What's the difference between qué and cuál?

When do you use qué and cuál in Spanish?

When Do We Use Qué?

We use qué:

• In front of a noun, verb, or verb phrase when we do not give any options to choose from. Often, we are asking an open-ended question that can be answered any way the speaker chooses.

examples
¿Qué vas a hacer este fin de semana? What are you going to do this weekend?
¿A qué colegio vas? What school do you go to?
¿De qué material está hecha aquella estatua? What material is that statue made of?
¿Qué se te antoja para cenar? What do you feel like having for dinner?

• To ask questions where the answer is a quantity or number.

Note that, in this case, the translation of qué is often how much.

examples
¿Qué temperatura hacía cuando saliste de casa esta mañana? What was the temperature when you left home this morning?
¿A qué edad puedes aprender a conducir en tu región? At what age can you learn to drive in your region?
¿Qué pesa tu perro? Parecía muy grande, pero casi no pesa nada. ¡Es todo pelo! How much does your dog weigh? He looks enormous, but he’s really light! He’s all fur!
¿Qué cuesta dormir en ese castillo? ¡Es un hotel! How much does it cost to sleep in that castle? It’s a hotel!

• When requesting information on the meaning, definition, or essence of something.

examples
¿Qué es el amor? What is love?
¿Qué significa "iridiscente"? What does "iridescent" mean?

Remember to always use both question marks in Spanish! Read more about the signo de apertura de interrogación(opening question mark, also known colloquially as the upside-down question mark) in this article.

When Do We Use Cuál?

Cuál is typically followed by a verb or de. However, in some regions of Latin America, you might find it followed by a noun.

We use cuál:

• When we give options. These options may be specified by the asker or they may be inferred. For example:

examples
¿Cuál de estos coches prefieres: el rojo o el amarillo? Which car do you prefer: the red one or the yellow one?
¿Cuáles de estas personas son los padres de Mara? Which of those people are Mara’s parents?
Mira estas fotos. ¿Cuál prefieres? ¿Comprarías alguna? Look at these photos. Which one do you prefer? Would you buy any of them?

When cuál refers to a plural noun, we use cuáles!

Note that cuál is often accompanied by the preposition de(of)! See a de? You probably need cuál, and not qué!

• When we are asking for information and expect the answer will be a name.

examples
Ahora que Plutón es un planeta enano, ¿cuál es el planeta más pequeño? Now that Pluto is a dwarf planet, what’s the smallest planet?

Accents are important! You may have noticed that both qué and cuál have an accent mark. Why? Because they’re question words! Read more about Spanish accent marks in this article.

Qué vs. Cuál: How to Choose When Both Are Possible

You may have noticed that in some cases, qué and cuál are direct translations of what and which. However, that’s not always the case. How can you memorize when to use which? Practice, practice, practice! Get started practicing with our interactive lessons on qué and cuál.

After reading the previous sections, you may be wondering what to do when both qué and cuál are possible. Remember that :

• We use qué with the verb ser(to be) when we are asking for an explanation or a definition.

examples
¿Qué es eso que tienes en la mano? Dime que no es un bicho. What’s that in your hand? Tell me it’s not a bug.

• We use cuál with the verb ser when we want a specific answer.

examples
¿Cuál es tu libro favorito de Isabel Allende? ¿Has leído "Largo pétalo de mar"? What’s your favorite book by Isabel Allende? Have you read "A Long Petal of the Sea"?

• We use qué with a noun or a conjugated verb when we do not give choices. There is an infinite group of possible aspects that the answer can come from.

examples
¿Qué te gusta hacer en julio? What do you like to do in July?
¿Qué opinas sobre la nueva casa que construyeron al final de esta calle? What do you think about the new house that they built at the end of this street?

• We use cuál or cuáles, often with de, when we give a choice. There is a definite group of options to choose from.

examples
Puedes elegir dos premios de esta mesa. ¿Cuáles de estos premios quieres? You can choose two prizes from this table. Which prizes would you like?
No sé dónde irme de vacaciones. ¿Cuál de estas dos ciudades te gusta más: Puebla o Morelia? I don’t know where to go on vacation. Which of these cities do prefer: Puebla or Morelia?

Caveat: Qué vs. Cuál

Traditionally, cuál is used instead of qué when a definite group of options are provided. However, you may come across variations in usage depending on a speaker's age, the regional type of Spanish they speak, the context, and who they're addressing. Therefore, either of the following examples may be considered correct in certain contexts and/or by certain speakers of Spanish.

examples
¿Cuál postre quieres? ¿Flan o arroz con leche? Which dessert do you want? Flan or arroz con leche?
¿Qué postre quieres? ¿Flan o arroz con leche? Which dessert do you want? Flan or arroz con leche?

¿Qué vas a hacer ahora que acabaste el artículo?(What are you doing to do now that you’ve finished the article?) It's the perfect time to read more articles or do some lessons about questions in Spanish!

Check out this selection of articles. ¿Cuál vas a leer?(Which one are you going to read?)

• Asking Questions

• What Is the Upside-Down Question Mark?

• Spanish Exclamatory Words and Expressions

• Qué Lesson

• Cuál Lesson