Spanish · Greetings & Essentials
"Which?" in Spanish: ¿cuál?
¿cuál?
Which in Spanish is ¿cuál? (kwahl). Plural is ¿cuáles? Use cuál when choosing among known options. Qué often names a type more openly.
Choosing a seat
¿Cuál asiento quieres?Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce ¿cuál?
Say it
kwahl
/ˈkwal/
kwahl — like quality without the -ity. Accent the á: cuál.
"Which?" in Spanish: quick reference
| Spanish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| ¿cuál? | which? Singular choice. | Singular choice. |
| ¿cuáles? | which ones? Plural choices. | Plural choices. |
| ¿cuál prefieres? | which do you prefer? Picking between options. | Picking between options. |
| ¿cuál es tu nombre? | what is your name? Fixed phrase; literally which is your name. | Fixed phrase; literally which is your name. |
How to use ¿cuál? in real life
- 1Choosing a seat
¿Cuál asiento quieres?
Which seat do you want?
Cuál picks among seats.
- 2Menu decision
Hay dos sopas. ¿Cuál te gusta más?
There are two soups. Which do you like more?
Cuál after known options.
- 3Keys on a table
¿Cuáles son tus llaves?
Which ones are your keys?
Cuáles for plural.
Mistakes English speakers make with ¿cuál?
Incorrect: ¿Cuál libro quieres? (some teachers flag cuál + noun)
Correct: ¿Qué libro quieres? / ¿Cuál quieres?
Many speakers say cuál + noun, but qué + noun or cuál alone is the safer textbook pattern.
Incorrect: Which prefieres?
Correct: ¿Cuál prefieres?
Use cuál, not English which.
Good to know
Good to knowLearners are taught qué + noun (qué libro) and cuál alone (cuál quieres). Real speech often mixes cuál libro. Both are understood; these pages favor the clearer choice pattern with cuál.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Picking ice cream flavors
ChatPal
Hay vainilla y chocolate. ¿Cuál quieres?
There's vanilla and chocolate. Which do you want?
You
Chocolate. ¿Cuál pides tú?
Chocolate. Which are you getting?
ChatPal
Vainilla. ¿Cuáles son los toppings?
Vanilla. Which are the toppings?
You
Nueces y salsa.
Nuts and sauce.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Which?" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Which?" in Spanish
Cuál or qué?
Cuál chooses among options. Qué asks more openly what.
Cuál or cuáles?
Cuáles is plural: which ones.
Why accent cuál?
Cuál asks which. Cual without accent is relative.
Is ¿cuál es tu nombre? okay?
Yes. It is the usual name question.
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