However, when the interrogative word itself is the subject, or modifies the
subject, Spanish like English does not invert word order:
¿Quien ha hecho esto? Who has done this?
¿Cuánta gente asistió? How many people attended?
See also 28.6.
Spanish interrogative words
Both indirect and direct questions, other than ‘yes/no’ questions, contain
(usually at the beginning) one of the interrogative words listed in Table
27.1. They always carry a written accent.
Table 27.1 Spanish interrogative words
¿qué? what/which?
¿cuál/cuáles? which one/s?
¿quién/quiénes? who/whom?
¿de quién? whose?
¿cuándo? when?
¿dónde? where?
¿cómo? how?
¿cuánto/cuánta/cuántos/ how much/how many?
cuántas?
¿por qué? why?
Qué ‘what’
Spanish quécan function either as a pronoun or an adjective.
As a pronoun it can only be used with reference to things and neverwith
reference to persons:
¿Qué vais [SP] a ver en el What are you going to see at
cine? the cinema?
27.2.1
27.2
1111
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1011
1
12111
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
20111
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
30111
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
40
41111
27
Questions
and
exclamations