You can conjugate verbs, build noun phrases, and describe things. But conversations are not monologues -- they are exchanges. To have a real conversation, you need to ask questions and respond with yes or no. Spanish question formation is simpler than English in many ways: no "do" or "does" required, no auxiliary verbs to rearrange. And negation? Just put no before the verb. This lesson gives you the tools to turn every statement into a question and every affirmative into a negative.
Self-Rating
What You Will Learn
Language Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
Form yes/no questions using intonation and inverted question marks
Use all seven question words (que, quien, donde, cuando, como, cuanto, por que)
Make any sentence negative by placing "no" before the verb
Handle double negatives -- which are correct in Spanish, unlike English
Ask and answer questions in Colombian daily life scenarios
Part 1: Yes/No Questions
In English, forming a question requires rearranging words: "You speak Spanish" becomes "Do you speak Spanish?" Spanish is simpler: the word order stays the same, and you just change the intonation (voice goes up at the end).
That is it. No "do," no rearranging. The inverted question mark (¿) at the start tells the reader a question is coming.
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Can you also flip the subject and verb for questions?
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Yes, you can optionally invert: '¿Habla usted espanol?' This sounds slightly more formal but is equally correct. In everyday Colombian speech, keeping the normal order with rising intonation is more common: '¿Usted habla espanol?'
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Why does Spanish use an upside-down question mark at the beginning?
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Spanish questions do not always start with a question word, so the inverted ¿ warns the reader that a question is coming. In long sentences, this is especially helpful: '¿Si usted tiene tiempo manana por la tarde, quiere ir a tomar un cafe?' Without ¿, you would not know it was a question until the end.
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Knowledge Check
How do you turn 'Usted vive en Bogota' into a yes/no question?
Knowledge Check
'Ellos estudian espanol.' How do you make this a question?
Part 2: The Seven Question Words
These are your information-gathering tools. Memorize all seven -- they appear in every conversation.
Question Word
Meaning
Example
¿Que?
What?
¿Que estudia usted?
¿Quien? / ¿Quienes?
Who?
¿Quien es ella?
¿Donde?
Where?
¿Donde vive usted?
¿Cuando?
When?
¿Cuando es la fiesta?
¿Como?
How?
¿Como esta usted?
¿Cuanto/a/os/as?
How much/many?
¿Cuanto cuesta?
¿Por que?
Why?
¿Por que estudia espanol?
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What is the difference between 'que' and 'cual'?
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At A1, focus on 'que' = what. 'Cual' means 'which' and is used when choosing between options: '¿Cual prefieres?' (Which do you prefer?). For now, 'que' covers most situations: '¿Que quiere?' (What do you want?), '¿Que es esto?' (What is this?).
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Does 'cuanto' change form?
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Yes! Cuanto agrees with the noun it asks about: ¿Cuanto cuesta? (How much does it cost? -- masculine singular). ¿Cuanta agua? (How much water? -- feminine singular). ¿Cuantos libros? (How many books? -- masculine plural). ¿Cuantas personas? (How many people? -- feminine plural).
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'¿Por que?' vs. 'porque'
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¿Por que? (two words, with accent) = Why? (the question). Porque (one word, no accent) = Because (the answer). '¿Por que estudias espanol?' 'Porque quiero viajar a Colombia.' This is one of the most common spelling mistakes.
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Knowledge Check
How do you ask 'Where do you live?' in Colombian Spanish?
Knowledge Check
'¿___ cuesta el cafe?' (How much)
Knowledge Check
'¿___ es su nombre?' (What)
Quick Check-in
Part 3: Negation with "No"
Making a sentence negative in Spanish is the simplest grammar rule you will ever learn: put no directly before the verb.
Affirmative: Yo hablo ingles. (I speak English.)
Negative: Yo no hablo ingles. (I do not speak English.)
Affirmative: Ella vive en Bogota. (She lives in Bogota.)
Negative: Ella no vive en Bogota. (She does not live in Bogota.)
No rearranging. No auxiliary verbs. Just add "no" before the verb.
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What about answering 'no' to a question?
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When answering a yes/no question negatively, you say 'no' twice: once to answer and once to negate the verb. '¿Habla usted espanol?' → 'No, no hablo espanol.' The first 'no' answers the question; the second 'no' negates the verb. This sounds natural in Spanish.
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Are double negatives wrong in Spanish?
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No! Unlike English, Spanish REQUIRES double negatives. 'No tengo nada' (I do not have nothing) is correct. 'No conozco a nadie' (I do not know nobody) is correct. In Spanish, these are not double negatives -- they are reinforced negatives. The English translation uses 'anything' and 'anyone,' but Spanish keeps both negatives.
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Knowledge Check
How do you say 'I do not understand'?
Knowledge Check
How do you answer '¿Vive usted en Medellin?' negatively?
Knowledge Check
Which is correct Spanish?
Part 4: Putting Questions and Negation Together
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Meeting a New Person in Bogota
You: Buenas tardes. ¿Como se llama usted?
Colombian: Me llamo Santiago. ¿Y usted?
You: Me llamo [name]. ¿Donde vive usted?
Santiago: Vivo en Usaquen. ¿Usted no es de aqui, cierto?
You: No, no soy de aqui. Soy de Estados Unidos. ¿Que hace usted?
Santiago: Soy ingeniero. ¿Por que esta en Colombia?
You: Porque estudio espanol. ¿Cuanto tiempo lleva en Bogota?
Seven question words, two negations, one natural conversation. This is what A1 grammar looks like in action.
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At a Restaurant
Waiter: Buenas noches. ¿Que desea ordenar?
You: ¿Cuanto cuesta la bandeja paisa?
Waiter: Veinte mil pesos.
You: Perfecto. ¿Ustedes no tienen jugo de lulo?
Waiter: Si, si tenemos. ¿Como lo quiere, con agua o con leche?
You: Con agua, por favor.
Questions and negation flowing naturally in a restaurant. Notice the waiter answers "si, si tenemos" to counter your negative question.
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Asking for Directions
You: Disculpe, ¿donde esta el museo?
Passerby: No, no esta por aqui. Esta en La Candelaria.
You: ¿Como llego alla?
Passerby: Tome el TransMilenio hacia el centro.
You: ¿Cuanto tiempo tarda?
Passerby: Como veinte minutos. No es lejos.
Questions with donde, como, cuanto, plus negation -- all in a 30-second street interaction.
How to Form Any Question
1. Decide the type
Yes/no question? Use the statement + rising intonation + ¿...? Information question? Start with the question word.
2. For information questions, choose the right question word
What = que, who = quien, where = donde, when = cuando, how = como, how much = cuanto, why = por que.
3. Add the verb (conjugated for the subject)
¿Donde + vive + usted? ¿Que + hace + ella? ¿Cuanto + cuesta + el cafe?
4. To negate, place 'no' before the verb
Reflection
Key Takeaways
Yes/no questions: same word order as statements + rising intonation + ¿...?
Seven question words: que, quien, donde, cuando, como, cuanto, por que
Negation: put no directly before the verb
Double negatives are correct and required in Spanish (no tengo nada)
Answering "no" to a question: "No, no + verb" (two no's)
Spanish does NOT use "do/does" for questions or negation
Summary Checklist
Before moving on, make sure you can:
Form a yes/no question from any statement
Use all seven question words in a sentence
Negate any sentence by placing "no" before the verb
Ask at least 5 practical questions for Colombian daily life
This Week's Practice
Daily Practice Tasks
Day 1-2: Convert 5 statements into yes/no questions: "Usted habla espanol" → "¿Usted habla espanol?"
Day 3-4: Write one question using each of the 7 question words. Make them about Colombia.
Day 5-7: Practice a mock conversation where you meet someone new. Write both sides -- your questions and their answers. Include at least 2 negative responses.