UNIT FIVE
Interrogatives
Forming a question in Spanish is quite straightforward. If a subject is expressed it is often
placed after the verb:
¿Tienes tú las llaves?
Do you have the keys?¿Van ustedes a la fiesta?
Are you going to the party?This is by no means obligatory, however, and you could also say:
¿Tú tienes las llaves?
¿Ustedes van a la fiesta?In the above examples the question looks just like a statement in the written form, but
with the addition of the question marks. However, when spoken, the intonation indicates
that a question is being asked.
When there is no subject mentioned the fact that it is a question will be indicated by
intonation alone:
¿Estudias mucho?
Do you study a lot?¿Estamos en el centro?
Are we in the centre?Notice that an inverted question mark is put at the beginning of a question in written
Spanish, even if the question is not the start of the sentence:
Hoy es sábado, ¿quieres ir al cine?
Today is Saturday, do you want to go to the cinema?Interrogative wordsThe main interrogative words in Spanish are as follows: