Tuesday, May 10, 2011

¿Cuál? vs. ¿Qué?

I have a confession to make: I have never understood the rule for when to use the interrogatives ¿cuál? and when to use ¿qué?. In class and in conversation, I just use instinct and what sounds best. But now no more! In a recent question posted to the OFLA Listserv, two people shared rules that finally make sense to me. Here they are:

1. Qué is used instead of cuál to say which before a noun (i.e.¿Qué camisa te gusta?; ¿Qué postre quieres?). Cuál is used instead of qué to say what before a form of the verb ser, except when asking the definition of a verb (i.e.¿Cuál es tu comida favorita?; ¿Cuál es tu casa?¿Qué es?; ¿Qué es esta cosa?).

2. With a form of ser, cuál is used when asking for a selection and qué is used when asking for a definition. So, when you ask, "Cuál es la fecha?" you are asking "Which of all possible dates is today's date?"

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