que

== Translingual == === Etymology === Clipping of English Quechua or Spanish quechua, from Quechua qhichwa. === Symbol === que (international standards) ISO 639-2 & ISO 639-3 language code for Quechuan. === See also === Wiktionary’s coverage of Quechua terms == English == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈkjuː/ Rhymes: -uː Homophones: cue, Q, queue === Noun === que (countable and uncountable, plural ques) (rare) The name of the Latin script letter Q/q. Alternative form of cue. (US, informal, rare) Clipping of barbeque. (South Asia or Internet) Alternative form of queue. === Anagrams === equ- == Asturian == === Alternative forms === cu (Somiedo, Armellada de Órbigo) cö (Cuarto de los Valles) qui (Cabrales) === Etymology === From Latin quid, usurping the roles of quod. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ke/ [ke] === Pronoun === que that, what, which ==== Related terms ==== qué == Catalan == === Pronunciation === (Central) IPA(key): /kə/ (Valencia) IPA(key): /ke/ === Etymology 1 === Inherited from Latin quem. ==== Pronoun ==== que (relative) that, which (relative) that, who, whom ===== Related terms ===== què === Etymology 2 === Inherited from Latin quid, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷid, compare *kʷís. ==== Conjunction ==== que (relative) that (in comparisons) than ===== Derived terms ===== ==== Adverb ==== que how; used to indicate surprise, delight and such === See also === què === Further reading === “que”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007 “que”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026 “que” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua. Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja (1963), “que”, in Diccionari català-valencià-balear (in Catalan) == Chavacano == === Etymology === Inherited from Spanish que (“that”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ke/, [ke] === Conjunction === que that === Pronoun === que (relative) who; that (interrogative, formal) who Synonym: cosa === Adverb === que (before an adjective) how (to what degree or extent) [[what] == Fala == === Etymology === From Old Galician-Portuguese que, from Latin quid (“that”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷid. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ke/ Rhymes: -e Syllabification: que === Conjunction === que that (connecting noun clause) than (used in comparisons, to introduce the basis of comparison) === Pronoun === que who, whom, which, that ==== Derived terms ==== o que === References === Valeš, Miroslav (2021), Diccionariu de A Fala: lagarteiru, mañegu, valverdeñu (web)‎[1], 2nd edition, Minde, Portugal: CIDLeS, published 2022, →ISBN, page 238 == French == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /kə/ Rhymes: -ə === Etymology 1 === Inherited from Latin quid, usurping some of the roles of Latin quod. ==== Conjunction ==== que that (introduces a subordinate noun clause and connects it to its parent clause) Substitutes for another, previously stated conjunction. when, no sooner Links two noun phrases in apposition forming a clause without a (finite) verb, such that the complement acts as predicate. ===== Usage notes ===== Unlike its English counterpart, que (sense 1) cannot be omitted in Standard French. ===== Derived terms ===== parce que que de bien que ===== Descendants ===== Haitian Creole: ke === Etymology 2 === Inherited from Latin quam. ==== Conjunction ==== que introduces a comparison (comparisons of superiority or inferiority) than (comparisons of equality) as (used with ne) only, just; but, nothing but Synonym: seulement how (in rhetorical interjections) ===== Usage notes ===== Though it may look like a negative structure, the construction ne...que, is not a true negative. The partitive article is used after it and does not change into de as with other negatives. When using ne...que, ne precedes the verb and que normally precedes what it is restricting: Il ne mange des pâtes que le samedi ― He eats pasta only on Saturday [not other days] Il ne mange que des pâtes le samedi ― He eats only pasta on Saturday [and nothing else] Compare the positive and negative forms of the construction, both from the 2018 song Flou by Belgian singer Angèle, noting the common informal omission of the particle ne: ===== Descendants ===== Haitian Creole: ke === Etymology 3 === Inherited from Latin quid, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷid, compare *kʷís. Doublet of quoi 'what', the tonic/emphasized counterpart, hence diphthongized. ==== Pronoun ==== que m (interrogative) (slightly formal, accusative or predicate) The inanimate direct-object or predicative interrogative pronoun: what Que me vaut cette visite ? ― To what do I owe this visit? Que sommes-nous ? ― What are we? (slightly formal, used with inverted il) The inanimate subject interrogative pronoun in impersonal constructions. Qu'est-il arrivé ? ― What happened? Qu'en reste-t-il ? ― What remains of it? (archaic except in idioms, nominative) The inanimate subject interrogative pronoun. Advienne que pourra ― Come what may ===== Synonyms ===== (subject) qu'est-ce qui (less formal, object) qu'est-ce que (colloquial, object) quoi === Etymology 4 === Inherited from Latin quem. ==== Pronoun ==== que m or f (accusative, relative) The direct object relative pronoun. ===== See also ===== qui (nominative) lequel, qui, quoi (disjunctive) === Further reading === “que”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 == Galician == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /kɪ/ Hyphenation: que === Etymology 1 === From Old Galician-Portuguese que, from Latin quid. ==== Conjunction ==== que that than (used in comparisons, to introduce the basis of comparison) Synonym: que non === Etymology 2 === Inherited from Latin quid. ==== Adjective ==== que what; which (interrogative only) ¿Que camisa queres? ― Which shirt do you want? ==== Adverb ==== que how; what (comparative) que lástima ― how sad used to express an adjective; how [mostly not translated] que feo ― ¡[how] ugly! que alto ― ¡[how] tall! que bonito ― ¡[how] cool! ==== Pronoun ==== que what (interrogative only) ¿Que ves? ― What do you see? that, which === Etymology 3 === ==== Conjunction ==== que that === Etymology 4 === ==== Noun ==== que m (plural ques) The name of the Latin script letter Q/q. ==== See also ==== (Latin-script letter names) letra; a, be, ce, de, e, efe, gue, hache, i, ele, eme, ene, eñe, o, pe, que, erre, ese, te, u, uve, xe, ceta / zeta === Further reading === “que”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026 Seoane, Ernesto Xosé González; Granja, María Álvarez de la; Agrelo, Ana Isabel Boullón (2006–2022), “que”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval [Dictionary of dictionaries of Medieval Galician] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “que”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega Barreiro, Xavier Varela; Guinovart, Xavier Gómez (2006–2018), “que”, in Corpus Xelmírez: corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval [Corpus Xelmírez: linguistic corpus of Medieval Galicia] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega == Ido == === Etymology === From q (/kw/) +‎ -e. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /kwe/, /kwɛ/ === Noun === que (plural que-i) The name of the Latin script letter Q/q. ==== See also ==== Latin script letter names: literi: a · be · ce · che · de · e · fe · ge · he · i · je · ke · le · me · ne · o · pe · que · re · se · she · te · u · ve · we · xe · ye · ze [edit] == Indo-Portuguese == === Etymology === From Portuguese que, from Old Galician-Portuguese que, from Latin quid (“what”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷid. === Pronoun === que that; which == Interlingua == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /k(w)e/ === Conjunction === que that === Pronoun === que what (interrogative) Que tu prefere? ― What do you prefer? ==== Derived terms ==== perque proque quecunque, qualcunque, etc. == Mandarin == === Romanization === que nonstandard spelling of quē nonstandard spelling of qué nonstandard spelling of què ==== Usage notes ==== Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone. == Middle English == === Noun === que alternative form of quye == Middle French == === Etymology 1 === From Latin quia. ==== Conjunction ==== que that === Etymology 2 === From Latin quid. ==== Pronoun ==== que what ===== Descendants ===== French: que == Occitan == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ke/ === Etymology 1 === From Latin quem, accusative of quī. ==== Pronoun ==== que (relative) that, which ===== Related terms ===== qué === Etymology 2 === From Latin quid, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷid, compare *kʷís. ==== Conjunction ==== que (relative) that (in comparisons) than == Old French == === Alternative forms === ke === Etymology === From Latin quid, quis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /kə/ === Pronoun === que (interrogative) what, who (indefinite) (that) which === Conjunction === que that ==== Derived terms ==== kil ==== Descendants ==== Middle French: que French: que == Old Galician-Portuguese == === Alternative forms === q̃, q̇ (abbreviation, in manuscripts) === Etymology === Inherited from Latin quid (“what”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷid. Along the way, it also usurped the roles of quod. === Conjunction === que that (introduces a connecting clause) ==== Descendants ==== Fala: que Galician: que Portuguese: que Indo-Portuguese: que == Old Occitan == === Etymology === From Latin quid, quis. === Pronoun === que (interrogative) what, who (indefinite) (that) which ==== Descendants ==== Occitan: qué === Conjunction === que that == Portuguese == === Alternative forms === q (text messaging) q̃ (abbreviation, obsolete) === Etymology === From Old Galician-Portuguese que, from Latin quid (“what”) (usurping as well the roles of Latin quod), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷid, compare *kʷís. Cognate with English who. === Pronunciation === Homophones: qui (Brazil), quê (South Brazil) Hyphenation: que This word may be stressed when mentioned instead of used. === Conjunction === que that (connecting noun clause) that (introducing the result of the main clause) than (used in comparisons, to introduce the basis of comparison) (only in subordinate clauses) seeing as; since; for; because (introduces explanatory clause) Synonym: porque (only in subordinate clauses) and (indicating the consequences of an action, often threateningly) ==== Quotations ==== For quotations using this term, see Citations:que. ==== Synonyms ==== (than): do que (because): por causa que, porque ==== Derived terms ==== === Determiner === que (interrogative) what (used to ask for a specification) Que livro é esse? ― What book is this? what a (preceding nouns) (indicates surprise, delight, or other strong feelings) Que jogador! ― What a player! === Adverb === que (not comparable) how (preceding adjectives) (indicates surprise, delight, or other strong feelings) === Pronoun === que (relative) which; that; who (of those mentioned) (relative, colloquial) whose (indefinite) what thing Synonym: o que ==== Derived terms ==== === Further reading === “que”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026 “que”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026 == Spanish == === Alternative forms === q̃ (archaic, scribal abbreviation) qu' (archaic, before vowels) q, k, khe (Internet slang, text messaging) === Etymology === Inherited from Latin quid (“what”), but usurping all the roles of Latin quod. Cognate with English who. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ke/ [ke] Rhymes: -e Syllabification: que Homophone: qué === Conjunction === que that than indicates reason; because, for indicates desire or permission; may [with subjunctive clause] indicates emphasis or repetitive answer === Pronoun === que who; that that; whom; which ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== === Further reading === “que”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025 “que”, in Diccionario panhispánico de dudas [Panhispanic Dictionary of Uncertainties] (in Spanish), 2nd edition, Royal Spanish Academy; Association of Academies of the Spanish Language, 2023, →ISBN “que”, in Diccionario de americanismos [Dictionary of Americanisms] (in Spanish), Association of Academies of the Spanish Language [Spanish: Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española], 2010 “que”, in Diccionario del español de México, Segunda edición, Academia Mexicana de la Lengua, 2019 Guido Gómez de Silva (2001), “que”, in Diccionario breve de mexicanismos [Brief Dictionary of Mexicanisms], first edition, Academia Mexicana de la Lengua [Mexican Academy of the Tongue] Seco, Manuel; Andrés, Olimpia; Ramos, Gabino (2023), “que”, in Diccionario del español actual [Dictionary of Current Spanish] (in Spanish), third digital edition, Fundación BBVA == Vietnamese == === Etymology === Inherited from Proto-Vietic *k-vɛː. Cognate with Muong que and Tho [Cuối Chăm] kʰwɛː¹. === Pronunciation === (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [kwɛ˧˧] (Huế) IPA(key): [kwɛ˧˧] (Saigon) IPA(key): [wɛ˧˧] === Noun === (classifier cái, cây) que • (𣠗, 𢹾) small stick === Classifier === que • (𣠗, 𢹾) Indicates a thinly elongated stuff một que củi ― a stick of firewood một que diêm ― a match một que kem ― an ice pop ==== Derived terms ====