que

See also Appendix:Variations of "que"

Asturian

Pronoun

que

1. that, what, which

Related terms

• qué

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Catalan

Pronoun

que

1. (relative) that, which
2. (relative) that, who, whom

Related terms

• què

Conjunction

que

1. (relative) that
2. (in comparisons) than

Adverb

que

1. how; used to indicate surprise, delight and such.

   Que bonic és viure!

   How nice it is to live!

See also

• què

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Fala

Etymology

From Old Portuguese que, from Latin quid (“that”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷís.

Conjunction

que

1. that (connecting noun clause)
   • 2000, Domingo Frades Gaspar, Vamus a falal: Notas pâ coñocel y platical en nosa fala, Editora regional da Extremadura, Chapter 1: Lengua Española:

     I si “a patria do homi é sua lengua”, cumu idía Albert Camus, o que está claru é que a lengua está mui por encima de fronteiras, serras, rius i maris, de situaciós pulíticas i sociu-económicas, de lazus religiosus e inclusu familiaris.

     And if “a man’s homeland is his language”, as Albert Camus said, what is clear is that language is beyond borders, mountain ranges, rivers and seas, above political and socio-economic situations, of religious and even family ties.

2. than (used in comparisons, to introduce the basis of comparison)
   • 2000, Domingo Frades Gaspar, Vamus a falal: Notas pâ coñocel y platical en nosa fala, Editora regional da Extremadura, Chapter 2: Númerus:

     Cumu to é cuestión de proporciós, sin que sirva de argumentu por nun fel falta, poemus vel que en a misma Europa hai Estaus Soberarius con menus territoriu que os tres lugaris nossus, cumu:

     As everything is a matter of proportions, without its presence being an argument, we can see that even in Europe there are Sovereign States with less territory than our three places, such as:

Derived terms

• o que

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French

Pronunciation

• IPA: /kə/, X-SAMPA: /k@/

• Audio

  (file)

Etymology 1

From Latin quia.

Conjunction

que

1. that (connects a noun clause)

   Je vois que tu parles bien en français. — I see that you speak French well.

2. (construed with ne) only

   Je ne mange que des fruits. — I eat only fruits.

3. Substitutes for another, previously stated conjunction.

   Si le temps est bon et que tout le monde aime l'idée, nous mangerons en plein air. — If the weather is nice and if everyone likes the idea, we'll eat outside.

4. (with the other clause in the negative) when, no sooner.

   Il n'était pas parti qu'elle a téléphoné à la police. — No sooner had he left when she called the police.

5. (Discuss⁽⁺⁾ this sense) Links two noun phrases in apposition forming a clause without a (finite) verb, such that the complement acts as predicate.
   • 1874, Barbey d'Aurevilly, ‘Le Bonheur dans le crime’, Les Diaboliques:

     —Quelle grande bête, avec tout son esprit, que votre marquise, pour vous avoir dit pareille chose! — fit la duchesse […].

     ‘What a beast your marquess is, for all her spirit, for having told you such a thing!’ said the duchess.

   • 1918, Jean Giradoux, Simon le pathétique:

     —Quelle belle fleur que la rose! dit-elle soudain, alors qu'aucune rose n'était en vue […].

     ‘What a beautiful flower the rose is!’ she said suddenly, though no rose was in sight.

Usage notes

• Unlike its English counterpart, que (sense 1) cannot be omitted.
• Ne...que, though it may look like a negative structure, is not a true negative. The partitive article is used after it and does not change into de as with other negatives.

Derived terms

• parce que
• bien que

Etymology 2

From Latin quid, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷid, cf. *kʷis.

Pronoun

que

1. The inanimate direct-object interrogative pronoun.

   Que pensez-vous de cette peinture ? — What do you think of that painting?

   Qu’est-ce qu'il a dit ? — What did he say?

Etymology 3

From Latin quem, accusative of qui.

Pronoun

que

1. The direct-object relative pronoun.

   C'est un homme que je connais très bien. — He's a man whom I know very well.

   Je viens de lire la lettre que vous m'avez envoyée. — I've just read the letter that you sent me.

See also

• quoi

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Galician

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Conjunction

que

1. that

Pronoun

que

1. that, which

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Interlingua

Pronunciation

• IPA: /k(w)e/

Conjunction

que

1. that

Pronoun

que

1. what (interrogative)

   Que tu prefere? - What do you prefer?

Derived terms

• perque
• proque
• quecunque, qualcunque, etc.

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Mandarin

Romanization

que

1. Nonstandard spelling of quē.
2. Nonstandard spelling of qué.
3. Nonstandard spelling of què.

Usage notes

English transcriptions of Chinese speech often fail to distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Chinese language, using words such as this one without the appropriate indication of tone.

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Old French

Etymology

From Latin quid, quis.

Pronoun

que

1. (interrogative) what, who
2. (indefinite) (that) which

Conjunction

que

1. that

Derived terms

• kil

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Old Provençal

Etymology

From Latin quid, quis.

Pronoun

que

1. (interrogative) what, who
2. (indefinite) (that) which

Conjunction

que

1. that

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Portuguese

Etymology

From Old Portuguese que, from Latin quid (“what”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷid, cf. *kʷis.

Pronunciation

• (Portugal) IPA: /kɨ/
• (Brazil) IPA: /ki/
  • Homophone: qui
• (South Brazil) IPA: /ke/
  • Homophone: quê
• Hyphenation: que

Conjunction

que

1. that (connecting noun clause)
   • 2003, Lya Wyler (translator), J. K. Rowling (English author), Harry Potter e a Ordem da Fênix (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix), Rocco, page 227:

     Pensei que você tivesse dito que ela estava só mandando você escrever!

     I thought that you had said that she was just ordering you to write!

   • 2007, Lya Wyler (translator), J. K. Rowling (English author), Harry Potter e as Relíquias da Morte (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), Rocco, page 588:

     Pensei que eles fossem invisíveis.

     I thought that they were invisible.

2. that (introducing the result of the main clause)

   Está tão frio que os canos congelaram.

   It is so cold that the pipes froze

3. than (used in comparisons, to introduce the basis of comparison)

   O inverno é mais frio que o verão.

   Winter is colder than summer.

4. (familiar, only in subordinate clauses) because (by or for the cause that)

   Vamos que você está atrasado.

   Let’s go because you are late.

Synonyms

• (because): por causa que, porque

Derived terms

é que por causa que porque

por que que nem que tal

Pronoun

que

1. what (used interrogatively in asking for the specification)

   Que livro é esse?

   What book is this?

2. what a (preceding nouns); how (preceding adjectives) (used as a modifier to indicate surprise, delight, or other strong feelings)

   Que jogador!

   What a player!

   Que belo!

   How beautiful!

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Spanish

Etymology

From Latin quid, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷid, cf. *kʷis.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ke/

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• Homophone: qué

Conjunction

que

1. that

   Él dice que está triste. - “He says that he/she is sad.”

2. than

   Estoy más tarde que tú. - “I am later than you.”

3. indicating a reason, roughly because

   ¡Ve más lento, que es resbaloso! - “Slow down, (because) it is slippery!”

4. indicating desire or permission

   Que punza el globo. - “Pop the balloon.”

yo que tú

1. if I were you

   Yo que tú, no lo haría. - “I wouldn't do it if I were you.”

es que

1. the thing is

   Quiero ir, es que necesito cumplir la tarea - “I want to go, it’s just that I have to finish my homework.”

Pronoun

que

1. who; that

   la estrella que está en la película - “the star who is in the movie”

2. that; whom

   la mujer con que yo hablé - “the woman with whom I spoke”

3. that; which

   la casa que yo quiero - “the house which I want”

Derived terms

• quehacer m

Related terms

• qué

See also

• q