que

Symbol

que

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

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-

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

1. that, what, which

Pronunciation

• (Central) IPA^(key): /kə/
• (Valencia) IPA^(key): /ke/

Etymology 1

Inherited from Latin quem.

Etymology 2

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

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, 2025
• “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.

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

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

References

• Valeš, Miroslav (2021) Diccionariu de A Fala: lagarteiru, mañegu, valverdeñu (web)‎, 2nd edition, Minde, Portugal: CIDLeS, published 2022, →ISBN

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kə/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ə

Etymology 1

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

Etymology 2

Inherited from Latin quam.

Etymology 3

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

Etymology 4

Inherited from Latin quem.

Further reading

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɪ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: que

Etymology 1

From Old Galician-Portuguese que, from Latin quid.

Etymology 2

From Latin quid.

Etymology 3

Etymology 4

Further reading

• “que”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2025
• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “que”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (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
• Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “que”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega

Etymology

From q (/kw/) +‎ -e.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kwe/, /kwɛ/

Noun

que (plural que-i)

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

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.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k(w)e/

Conjunction

que

1. that

Pronoun

que

1. what (interrogative)

   Que tu prefere? ― What do you prefer?

Romanization

que

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

Etymology 1

From Latin quia.

Etymology 2

From Latin quid.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ke/

• Audio (Béarn):

  (file)

Etymology 1

From Latin quem, accusative of quī.

Etymology 2

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

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

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)

Etymology

From Latin quid, quis.

Pronoun

que

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

Conjunction

que

1. that

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

• Audio (Brazil):

  (file)

• Homophones: qui (Brazil), quê (South Brazil)
• 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 and the Order of the Phoenix] (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 and the Deathly Hallows] (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.

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

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 (Mexico):

  (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

   Synonym: (Internet slang, text messaging) q

   la estrella que está en la película

   the star who is in the movie

2. that; whom; which

   la mujer con la que yo hablé

   the woman with whom I spoke

   la casa que yo quiero

   the house that I want

Preposition

que

1. than
2. like, as

Particle

que

1. to

Further reading

• “que”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

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