La gramática: Interrogatives

Question 1

Traduzca: What is mole?

(Asking for a definition or for a description because the speaker isn’t familiar with this delicious sauce.)

Answer 1

¿Qué es mole?

Question 2

Traduzca: Which one is mole?

(Perhaps at a banquet where there are several choices, one of which is mole but the speaker does not know which one.)

Answer 2

¿Cuál es el mole?

Question 3

Explique la diferencia:

1. ¿Para qué estudias tanto?
2. ¿Por qué estudias tanto?

Answer 3

1. ¿Para qué estudias tanto? means “What do you study so much for?” in the sense of “What are you trying to achieve by studying so much?” An answer might be “Estudio tanto para poder conseguir un buen trabajo.” Getting a good job pulls you along.
2. ¿Por qué estudias tanto? means “Why do you study so much?” or “What drives you to study so much?” In this case you might respond “Estudio tanto porque quiero conseguir un buen trabajo.” Wanting to get a good job pushes you along.

Question 4

What is wrong with this question?

¿Quién le gusta el mole poblano?

What is wrong with this answer?

¡Yo!

Answer 4

That question is ungrammatical because with verbs like “gustar” the person pleased is the indirect object, not the subject of the sentence. A correct version would be

“¿A quién le gusta el mole poblano?”

The answer is also ungrammatical. A correct answer would be

¡A mí!

Question 5

Traduzca: ¿A quién le interesan las películas lacrimógenas?

Answer 5

Who likes tear-jerker movies?

Note: Not ¿Quién le gustan . . . ?

Question 6

¿ _____ cuando tenemos que entregar la tarea?

_____ las 11:30 de la noche.

Answer 6

¿ Para cuando tenemos que entregar la tarea?

Para las 11:30 de la noche.

Question 7

(En la clínica veterinaria) ¿Cuál/Qué es tu mascota?

Answer 7

¿Cuál es tu mascota? = Which one of these animals is your pet?

¿Qué es tu mascota? = What is that thing that you call your pet?