Spanish questions: two signs (A1)
A1 Spanish reading about the two signs in direct questions. Practise present-tense questions and short answers.
Dos signos para una pregunta
Reading for practice
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Learn that written direct questions in Spanish begin with ¿ and end with ?, then practise present-tense questions.
Ana ve dos signos. En español, cada pregunta directa lleva «¿» al principio y «?» al final.
Ana practica con su amigo Luis. Sus respuestas son cortas.
Luis: ¿Hablas español?
Ana: Sí, hablo un poco.
Luis: ¿Dónde vives?
Ana: Vivo en Valencia.
Luis: ¿Vives cerca de la escuela?
Ana: No, no vivo cerca.
Luis: ¿Qué haces hoy?
Ana: Estudio español.
Luis: ¿Cuándo estudias español?
Ana: Estudio por la tarde.
Luis: ¿Tienes clase hoy?
Ana: Sí, tengo clase.
Luis: ¿Cómo estás?
Ana: Estoy bien, gracias.
Luis: ¿Quieres practicar más?
Ana: Sí, quiero practicar.
Ana mira las preguntas. «¿Hablas español?» es una pregunta sobre una lengua. «¿Dónde vives?» es una pregunta sobre un lugar. «¿Qué haces hoy?» es una pregunta sobre una actividad.
Ahora es tu turno. ¿Hablas español todos los días? ¿Dónde vives? ¿Qué haces hoy? ¿Tienes una pregunta para un amigo? Escríbela con «¿» al principio y «?» al final.
About this article
What you'll learn
Present-tense questions: ¿ and ?, tú forms, and short answers
Learn that written direct questions in Spanish begin with ¿ and end with ?, then practise present-tense questions.
After reading
Article learning block
Phrases, words, grammar, and quick practice from this text.
Phrases for training
Add useful phrases to SRS or mark them as already known.
¿Hablas español?
newDo you speak Spanish?
This is a direct yes/no question. «Hablas» is the tú form of «hablar».
It gives a simple pattern for asking what language someone speaks.
¿Dónde vives?
newWhere do you live?
«Dónde» asks about a place and carries an accent in this question.
It is useful for a common personal question.
¿Qué haces hoy?
newWhat are you doing today?
«Qué» asks about an action, and «haces» is the tú form of «hacer».
It is useful for making everyday plans.
¿Cuándo estudias español?
newWhen do you study Spanish?
«Cuándo» asks about time and carries an accent in this question.
It helps the learner ask about the time of a regular action.
¿Tienes clase hoy?
newDo you have class today?
«Tienes» is the tú form of «tener». In the stressed syllable, e changes to ie.
It combines a frequent yes/no question with a stem change.
¿Cómo estás?
newHow are you?
«Cómo» asks how someone is and carries an accent in this question.
It is a frequent greeting and a useful model of a direct question.
¿Quieres practicar más?
newDo you want to practise more?
«Quieres» is the tú form of «querer», with e changing to ie. «Más» means more and carries an accent.
It is useful for inviting someone to continue practising.
Key words
Vocabulary that carries the school-day topic.
Interrogative dónde
dónde
where?
«Dónde» means where and carries an accent when it is interrogative.
It supports accurate questions about places.
Interrogative qué
qué
what?
«Qué» means what and carries an accent when it introduces a question.
It prevents a common spelling error in questions.
Interrogative cuándo
cuándo
when?
«Cuándo» means when and carries an accent in a question.
It is needed for questions about times and schedules.
Interrogative cómo
cómo
how?
«Cómo» means how and carries an accent when it introduces a question.
It supports a frequent greeting and many other questions.
Tienes from tener
tienes
you have
«Tienes» is the tú form of «tener». In the stressed syllable, e changes to ie.
It is useful for daily questions about classes, time, and possessions.
Quieres from querer
quieres
you want
«Quieres» is the tú form of «querer». In the stressed syllable, e changes to ie.
It helps the learner recognize a frequent form for wishes and offers.
Grammar in context
Patterns from the text worth noticing after reading.
Paired signs in a direct question
En español, cada pregunta directa lleva «¿» al principio y «?» al final.
«¿» at the beginning, «?» at the end
Every direct question in Spanish has «¿» at the beginning and «?» at the end.
It helps the learner write their own Spanish question correctly.
Accents in question words
¿Dónde vives?
dónde, qué, cuándo, cómo
In these direct questions, «dónde», «qué», «cuándo», and «cómo» carry accents.
It separates the spelling rule for question words from the punctuation rule.
Yes/no questions with the verb
¿Hablas español?
Do you speak Spanish?
In these questions, the subject pronoun is omitted because the verb form already shows you.
It lets the learner form new questions from verbs they know.
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