Mastering ‘Que’ in Spanish Grammar: Functions & Errors
The Spanish word “que” is highly versatile, serving numerous grammatical functions. This document details its various uses, from pronouns and conjunctions to adjectives and adverbs, along with common errors to avoid.
1. Relative & Interrogative Pronouns
Relative Pronoun
A relative pronoun introduces a relative clause and always maintains its corresponding syntactic function within the clause (not merely as a link). For example: “The Indonesian restaurant that I mentioned.” (= which…). You can substitute other relative pronouns like who, whom, whose, which, where, when, why, or that.
For further details, refer to the section on “Subordinate Adjectival or Relative Clauses” in “How to Analyze Complex Sentences.”
Interrogative Pronoun
The interrogative pronoun asks a question: “¿Qué?” (What?).
2. Conjunctions: Subordinate Noun Clauses
The conjunction “que” introduces subordinate noun clauses:
- “He says that he will kill me.” (Substantive Subordinate Clause – Direct Object)
- “That you want to get drunk is not my problem.” (Substantive Subordinate Clause – Subject)
- “This book is about that the world ends.” (Substantive Subordinate Clause – Complement of Preposition)
Implied Main Clause
Sometimes “que” introduces a main subordinate clause where the main verb is implied or omitted:
- “¡Que esperes!” (Implies: “I tell you that you wait!”)
- “¿Que vienes?” (Implies: “You say that you come?”)
Exclamations with Subjunctive
In exclamations with a subjunctive verb, “que” introduces a substantive subordinate clause where the main clause is omitted:
- “¡Que soy tan infeliz!” (Literally: “That I am so unhappy!” – Implies: “It’s not fair that I am so unhappy!”).
3. Alternative & Other Conjunctions
Coordinating Conjunction
“Que” can function as a coordinating conjunction, similar to “and”:
- “I ask for justice, that (= and) is not funny.”
Optional Combination
In optional combinations, “que” can mean “whether”:
- “Whether you like it or not, you come with me.” (Equivalent to: “like it or not…”) – in a coordinated optional proposition.
Causal Conjunction
“Que” can act as a causal conjunction, meaning “because”:
- “He didn’t upload it, because he wasn’t at home.” – in a causal subordinate clause.
Inferential or Consecutive Conjunction
“Que” correlates with “so” or “such” to indicate inference or consequence:
- “He flew so high that I needed a hunting scope.” – in a consecutive subordinate clause.
Final Conjunction
“Que” can introduce a final clause, meaning “so that” or “in order that”:
- “Give me your foot, so that you can tie your shoe.” – in a final subordinate clause.
Conditional Conjunction (Colloquial)
Colloquially, “que” can function as a conditional conjunction, meaning “if”:
- “If you don’t want to, don’t come.” – in a conditional subordinate clause.
Comparative Conjunction
“Que” correlates with “more,” “less,” etc., in comparative clauses:
- “He is taller than Bill (is tall).” – in a comparative subordinate clause.
Fixed, Repetitive Expressions
“Que” is part of fixed, repetitive expressions that emphasize action or continuity. These are common in colloquial Spanish:
- “¡Que suba, suba!” (Meaning: “Let him climb, let him climb!” or “He keeps climbing!”)
- “¡Que ande, ande!” (Meaning: “Let him walk, let him walk!” or “He keeps walking!”)
- “¡Que te calles!” (Meaning: “Shut up!” – emphatic command)
The original text provided examples like: “that you rise up, climb to climb, you’ll walk walk” which are literal translations of such Spanish constructions.
4. ‘Que’ as a Particular Adjective
Interrogative Determiner Adjective
The interrogative determiner adjective “qué” modifies a noun in a question:
- “¿Qué restaurante indonesio dices?” (What Indonesian restaurant are you talking about?)
Exclamatory Determiner Adjective
The exclamatory determiner adjective “qué” modifies a noun in an exclamation:
- “¡Qué preguntas hacen!” (What questions they ask!)
- “¡Qué de flores había!” (How many flowers there were!)
5. Other Uses of ‘Que’
Part of Verbal Utterances
“Que” is part of certain verbal utterances, similar to phrases like “to call attention.” In these cases, it correctly appears without an accent, although it is sometimes seen with one.
Assertive Adverbial Expression
“Que” also appears as part of an adverbial expression equivalent to the assertive “certainly”:
- “A fe que…” (e.g., “A fe que lo pasarás.” – “Certainly you will pass it.”)
- “Seguro que estás equivocado.” (Surely you are mistaken.)
Emphatic ‘Que’
The emphatic “que” adds intensity to a statement or command. While sometimes omittable, it strengthens the expression:
- “¡Que te pego!” (I’ll hit you!)
- “¡Que sí!” (Yes, it is! / Of course!)
- “¡Que te calles!” (Shut up!)
Expletive or Unnecessary ‘Que’
“Que” can be expletive or unnecessary, especially in certain constructions:
- “No hace mucho (que) vivía un caballero.” (Not long ago (that) there lived a gentleman.)
- “¡Qué bien (que) está aquí!” (How well (that) he is here!) (Note: The first “qué” is necessary here.)
- “¡Cuánto dinero (que) tiene ese tipo!” (How much money (that) that guy has!)
Exclamatory Adverb ‘Que’
The exclamatory adverb “qué” modifies an adjective or an adverb:
- “¡Qué bien habla!” (How well he speaks!)
- “¡Qué cara es la vida!” (How expensive life is!)
- “¡Qué me hizo después!” (What he made me do later!)
(Note: The existence of such an exclamatory adverb is not universally recognized in all grammatical frameworks, though some sources, like Leonardo Gomez Torrego’s *Teaching of Spanish Grammar*, do refer to it. Its behavior in the sentences shown provides a reasonable explanation for its classification.)
Common Errors & Resources
Accentuation Rules
Remember that only interrogative and exclamatory forms of “que” (as adjectives, determiners, pronouns, or adverbs) are accented (“qué”).
Frequent Misuses of ‘Que’
Some of the most frequent errors in the use of “que” include dequeísmo (the incorrect insertion of “de que” instead of “que” – see “Substantive Subordination” or consult “Frequent Writing Errors”) and the omission of a preposition when needed. For example:
- Incorrect: “Vi al chico que le di doce puntos.”
- Correct: “Vi al chico al que le di doce puntos.” (I saw the boy to whom I gave twelve points.)
Another notorious misuse involves the relative pronoun “cuyo” (whose):
- Incorrect: “La chica que su padre era futbolista, se casó.”
- Correct: “La chica cuyo padre era futbolista, se casó.” (The girl whose father was a footballer, married.) (Refer to pronouns for more details.)
For a complete review of the possibilities of “que,” refer to the Pan-Hispanic Dictionary of Doubts from the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE).