que

See also: Appendix:Variations of "que"

Translingual

Symbol

que

1. (international standards) ISO 639-2 & ISO 639-3 language code for Quechuan.

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkjuː/

  Audio (UK):

  (file)

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uː
• Homophones: cue, Q, queue

Noun

que (countable and uncountable, plural ques)

1. (rare) The name of the Latin-script letter Q/q. Alternative form of cue.
   • 1820, John Borthwick Gilchrist, The Stranger's Infallible East-Indian Guide, London, page 163:

     having lost their own pees and ques, by some pitiful attempt in our alphabetical orchard

   • 2011, Elgin Dobbins, Thirty Seconds to Midnight, page 386:

     he was about to be interviewed by German television and he had to be on his pees and ques.

2. (US, informal, rare) Clipping of barbeque.
   • 2009 December 25, Nick Cramer, “My "homemade" Italian meatball recipe - for Nick and Meir”, in soc.culture.jewish.moderated (Usenet):

     Then about 1950 two German brothers who had a meat market began cooking BBQ in their market to use up left over meat. One got the idea to smoke a brisket as he was smoking sausage one weekend. He left it all weekend in his smokehouse and on Monday as they were serving their que, pork, sausage & chicken, he cut a slice […]

   • 2010 September 22, Nanzi, “Re: Yoy guys are killing this group”, in alt.food.barbecue (Usenet):

     Instead please join in the sharing of que methods and recipes, or questions.

   • 2011, Kathy Reichs, Spider Bones: A Novel, →ISBN, page 57:

     The back route I favor involves a long stretch on Highway 74 and brings me close enough to Lumberton for a barbeque detour. That was my target today. Being already in Lumberton, it only made sense to score some “que.”

3. (South Asia) Alternative form of queue

Anagrams

• equ-

Asturian

Etymology

From Latin quid, usurping the roles of quod.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ke/, [ke]

Pronoun

que

1. that, what, which

Related terms

• qué

Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kə/
• IPA^(key): /ke/

Etymology 1

From Latin quem, accusative of quī.

Pronoun

que

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

Related terms

• què

Etymology 2

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

Conjunction

que

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

Derived terms

• per a que

 

Adverb

que

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

   Que bonic és viure!

   How nice it is to live!

See also

• què

Further reading

• “que” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “que”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
• “que” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “que” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Fala

Etymology

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

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:

Pronoun

que

1. 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

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kə/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ə

Etymology 1

Inherited from Latin quid, usurping some of the roles of Latin quod.

Conjunction

que

1. that (introduces a subordinate noun clause and connects it to its parent clause)
   • 2021, Zaz, Tout là-haut:

     Si on s’en allait tout là-haut, si on prenait de la hauteur, tu verrais que le monde est beau, beau.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   Je vois que tu parles bien français.

   I see that you speak French well.

2. Substitutes for another, previously stated conjunction.

   Si le temps est beau et que tout le monde est d’accord, nous mangerons en plein air.

   If the weather is nice and if everyone likes the idea, we'll eat outside.

3. when, no sooner

   Il était à peine parti qu’elle a téléphoné à la police.

   No sooner had he left when she called the police.

4. 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 marquise 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 in Standard French.

Derived terms

• parce que
• que de
• bien que

Etymology 2

Inherited from Latin quam.

Conjunction

que

1. introduces a comparison
   1. (comparisons of superiority or inferiority) than

      Il est plus grand que son père.

      He is taller than his father.

   2. (comparisons of equality) as

      Elle est aussi intelligente que toi.

      She is as smart as you.

2. (used with ne) only, just; but, nothing but

   Synonym: seulement

   Je ne mange que des fruits.

   I eat nothing but fruit.

   • c. 1656–1662, Blaise Pascal, “Dossier de travail - Fragment n° 19 / 35”, in Pensées‎^[2]:

     Nous souhaitons la vérité et ne trouvons en nous qu’incertitude. Nous recherchons le bonheur et ne trouvons que misère et mort.

     We hope for truth and find in ourselves nothing but uncertainty. We search again for happiness and find only misery and death.

3. how (in rhetorical interjections)

   Que c’est beau!

   How beautiful it is!

   Mais que t’es drôle, quoi.

   Oh, how funny you are.

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's restricting:

  Il ne mange les pâtes que le samedi ― He eats pasta only on Saturday [not other days]

  Il ne mange que les 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 songstress Angèle, noting the common informal omission of the particle ne:

Tu t’ sens comme la reine du monde, mais c’est qu’une impression.

You feel like the queen of the world, but it's only a feeling.

Tu t’ sens un peu seul au monde ; c’est pas qu’une impression.

You feel a bit alone in the world; it's not just a feeling.

Etymology 3

Inherited from Latin quid, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷid, compare *kʷis. Doublet of quoi 'what', the tonic/emphasized counterpart, hence diphthongized.

Pronoun

que m (interrogative)

1. (slightly formal, accusative) The inanimate direct-object interrogative pronoun.
   • 2014, Indila, Égo

     Qu’a-t-on fait de la vérité ?

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   Que pensez-vous de cette peinture ?

   What do you think of that painting?

   Qu’auriez-vous fait d’autre ?

   What else would you have done?

2. (slightly formal, nominative) The inanimate subject or predicative interrogative pronoun.

   Qu’est-il arrivé ? ― What happened?

   Que me vaut cette visite ? ― To what do I owe this visit?

   Que sommes-nous ? ― What are we?

Synonyms

• (colloquial) qu’est-ce que (object); qu’est-ce qui (subject)

Etymology 4

Inherited from Latin quem.

Pronoun

que m or f

1. (accusative, relative) 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

Further reading

• “que”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Galician

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɪ/

• Audio:

  (file)

Etymology 1

From Old Galician-Portuguese que, from Latin quid.

Conjunction

que

1. that

Etymology 2

From Latin quid.

Adjective

que

1. what; which (interrogative only)

   ¿Que camisa queres? ― Which shirt do you want?

Adverb

que

1. how; what (comparative)

   que lástima ― how sad

2. used to express an adjective; how [mostly not translated]

   que feo ― ¡[how] ugly!

   que alto ― ¡[how] tall!

   que bonito ― ¡[how] cool!

Pronoun

que

1. what (interrogative only)

   ¿Que ves? ― What do you see?

2. that, which

Etymology 3

Conjunction

que

1. that

   Pra xogar , non vos fai falta que vos den consello.

   To play, It isn't necessary that you give advice.

Etymology 4

Noun

que f (plural ques)

1. Name of the letter q.

Further reading

• “que”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2024

Ido

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kwe/, /kwɛ/

Noun

que (plural que-i)

1. The name of the Latin script letter Q/q.

See also

• (Latin script letter names) litero; 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 ^{(Category: io:Latin letter names)}

Indo-Portuguese

Etymology

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

Pronoun

que

1. that; which
   • 1883, Hugo Schuchardt, Kreolische Studien, volume 3:

     […] , que da-cá su quião que ta pertencê a êll.

     […] , to give him his share which belongs to him.

Interlingua

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /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.

Mandarin

Romanization

que

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

Etymology 1

From Latin quia.

Conjunction

que

1. that

Etymology 2

From Latin quid.

Pronoun

que

1. what
   • 1488, Jean Dupré, Lancelot du Lac, page 61:

     si en fut tant dolent qu'il ne sçavoit que dire

     then he was so sad that he didn't know what to say

Descendants

• French: que

Occitan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ke/

• Audio (Béarn):

  (file)

Etymology 1

From Latin quem, accusative of quī.

Pronoun

que

1. (relative) that, which

Related terms

• qué

Etymology 2

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

Conjunction

que

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

Old French

Alternative forms

• ke

Etymology

From Latin quid, quis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kə/

Pronoun

que

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

Conjunction

que

1. that

Derived terms

• kil

Descendants

• Middle French: que
  • French: que

Old Galician-Portuguese

Alternative forms

• q̃, q̇ (abbreviation, in manuscripts)

Etymology

From Latin quid (“what”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷid.

Conjunction

que

1. that (introduces a connecting clause)

Descendants

• Fala: que
• Galician: que
• Portuguese: que
  • Indo-Portuguese: que

Old Occitan

Etymology

From Latin quid, quis.

Pronoun

que

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

Descendants

• Occitan: qué

Conjunction

que

1. that

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• q (abbreviation)
• 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 *kʷis. Cognate with English who.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ki/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ki/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ke/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /kɨ/

• Hyphenation: que

Conjunction

que

2. that (connecting noun clause)
   • 2003, J. K. Rowling, translated by Lia Wyler, Harry Potter e a Ordem da Fênix (Harry Potter; 5), Rio de Janeiro: Rocco, →ISBN, 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, J. K. Rowling, translated by Lia Wyler, Harry Potter e as Relíquias da Morte (Harry Potter; 7), Rio de Janeiro: Rocco, →ISBN, page 588:

     Pensei que eles fossem invisíveis.

     I thought that they were invisible.

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

   Está tão frio que os canos congelaram.

   It is so cold that the pipes froze

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

   O inverno é mais frio que o verão.

   Winter is colder than summer.

8. (only in subordinate clauses) seeing as; since; for; because (introduces explanatory clause)

   Espere um pouco que a chuva já vai parar.

   Wait a little: for the rain is about to stop.

   • 1878, Machado de Assis, O Machete (short story):

     Nas horas de lazer, tratava Inácio do querido instrumento e fazia vibrar todas as cordas do coração, derramando as suas harmonias interiores, e fazendo chorar a boa velha de melancolia e gosto, que ambos estes sentimentos lhe inspirava a música do filho.

     In his times of leisure, Inácio took care of the loved instrument and made all heartstrings vibrate, outpouring his inner harmonies, and making the good old woman cry with melancholy and pleasure: for both these feelings the son’s music inspired in her.

10. (only in subordinate clauses) and (indicating the consequences of an action, often threateningly)

    Quebre as regras que você será punido.

    Break the rules and you will be arrested.

11. short for porque ("because")

    Levantem os pés, que eu vou esfregar o chão.

    Raise your feet, cause I am going to scrub the floor.

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:que.

Synonyms

• (than): do que
• (because): por causa que, porque

Derived terms

• é que
• por causa que
• por que
• porque
• que nem
• que tal

 

Determiner

que

2. (interrogative) what (used to ask for a specification)

   Que livro é esse? ― What book is this?

4. what a (preceding nouns) (indicates surprise, delight, or other strong feelings)

   Que jogador! ― What a player!

Adverb

que (not comparable)

2. how (preceding adjectives) (indicates surprise, delight, or other strong feelings)

   Que belo!

   How beautiful!

Pronoun

que

2. (relative) which; that; who (of those mentioned)

   Li uma notícia que era muito desagradável.

   I read news that was very unpleasant.

4. (relative, colloquial) whose
   • 1996, “Rap do Silva”, performed by MC Bob Rum:

     Era só mais um Silva que a estrela não brilha

     He was just another Silva whose star doesn't shine

6. (indefinite) what thing

   Synonym: o que

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Latin quid (“what”), but usurping all the roles of Latin quod. Cognate with English who.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ke/ [ke]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio:

  noicon

  (file)

• Rhymes: -e
• Syllabification: que
• Homophone: qué

Conjunction

que

1. that

   Él dice que está triste.

   He says that he is sad.

2. than

   Llego más tarde que tú.

   I am arriving later than you.

3. indicating a reason; because, for

   ¡Ve más lento, que es resbaloso!

   Slow down, (for) it is slippery!

4. indicating desire or permission; may (used with the subjunctive)

   Que te vaya bien.

   Good luck to you.

   (literally, “May it go well for you.”)

   Que Dios me perdone.

   May God forgive me.

Pronoun

que

1. who; that

   la estrella que está en la película

   the star who is in the movie

   Synonym: (Internet slang, text messaging) q

2. that; whom

   la mujer con la que yo hablé

   the woman with whom I spoke

3. that; which

   la casa que yo quiero

   the house that I want

Preposition

que

1. than
2. like, as

Particle

que

1. to

Alternative forms

• q (Internet slang, text messaging)

Derived terms

• a que
• aunque
• con el que, con la que (“with which”)
• del que, de la que (“of which, from which”)
• para el que, para la que (“for which”)
• por el que, por la que (“for which, by which, through which”)
• que te que
• quehacer
• queísmo

 

Related terms

• qué

 

Further reading

• “que”, in Diccionario de la lengua española (in Spanish), online version 23.7, Royal Spanish Academy, 2023 November 28

Vietnamese

Etymology

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)

1. small stick