‘Qué’ vs ‘cuál’: What is the difference?

Qué+ ser is used to ask about a definition or the meaning of something. It can literally be translated as “what sort of…” or “what kind of thing is…”

Whereas cuál with ser asks for a particular detail or information:

Let’s compare these two uses side by side:

If we use “qué,” we are literally asking what the words “tu apellido” mean. Whereas, with cuál, we are asking the person to tell us their last name.

For more on the use of the verb ser in Spanish, click the link!

The difference here is clear: use qué to ask for general information, just like with the English word “what” and use cuál to ask about choice, like the English “which one.”

When we want to ask about objects, we can use both qué or cuál, but only qué will be followed directly by a noun and cuál needs the preposition de before adding the noun. There is also a difference in meaning, because the prepositionNo definition set for prepositionLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. de will refer to a group from which you’re going to make a selection. Let’s see some examples: