Hey, I have a few questions for Spanish speakers.?

Question

1. I'm confused about when to use cual and when to use que. I've heard different things like cual means which, and que means what, but I don't believe that, then I heard the you use que when it's in front of a noun like color, and you use cual in front of a small word like es, but I don't think that's true either. When do you use cual, and when do you use que?

2. I'm also confused about when to use algo or algun or alguno.

To the guy below:

What are the exceptions?

Answer 1

"Que covers "that", "which", "who", "whom" and the null pronoun in their functions of subject and direct-object relative pronouns.
La carta que te envié era larga = "The letter [that] I sent you was long" (restrictive relative pronoun referring to direct object)

La carta, que te envié, era larga = "The letter, which I did send you, was long" (non-restrictive relative pronoun referring to direct object)

La gente que no sabe leer ni escribir se llama analfabeta = "People who can't read or write are called illiterate" (relative pronoun referring to subject)

Esa persona, que conozco yo muy bien, no es de fiar = "That person, whom I know very well, is not to be trusted"

"El que" When the relative pronoun is the object of a preposition, the definite article is added to que, and this agrees for number and gender, giving us el que, la que, los que, las que and the neuter lo que. Note that in English we have two options: the preposition can go to the end of the sentence, or we can put it right before the relative pronoun "which" or "whom".

Ella es la persona a la que le di el dinero = "She's the person [that/who/whom] I gave the money to" / "She's the person to whom I gave the money"

Es el camino por el que caminabais = "It's the path [that] you were all walking along" / "It's the path along which you were ll walking"

In some people's style of speaking, this definite article may be omitted after a, con and de, particularly when the antecedent is abstract or neuter:

La aspereza con [la] que la trataba = "The harshness with which he treated her"

No tengo nada en [lo] que creer = "I haven't got anything to believe in" / "I have nothing in which to believe"

After en, the article tends to be omitted if precise spatial location is not intended.

Lo hiciste de la misma forma en que lo hizo él = "You did it [in] the same way [that/in which] he did it" (note also how "in" with the word forma is translated as de when used directly, but then changes to en when used with the relative pronoun)
La casa en que vivo = "The house I live in" (as opposed to the following:)

La casa en la que estoy encerrado = "The house inside which I am trapped"


The pronoun "cual" can replace [el] que. It is generally more emphatic and formal than [el] que. Note that it always includes the article. It derives from the Latin QVALIS.

It has the following forms: el cual, la cual, los cuales, las cuales and the neuter lo cual.

For subjects & direct objects

It can be used as a formal, emphatic replacement for que in non-defining clauses, for either subjects or direct objects. The fact that it agrees for gender and number can make it clearer to what it refers. The fact that it cannot be used for defining clauses also makes it clear that a defining clause is not intended.

Los niños y sus madres, las cuales eran de Valencia, me impresionaron = "The children and their mothers, who were from Valencia, impressed me" (los cuales would have referred to the children too, and not just their mothers)
When used for direct objects, the personal a is required if the antecedent is human.

Esa persona, a la cual conozco yo muy bien, no es de fiar = "That person, whom I know very well, is not to be trusted"

As the object of a preposition
It can be used as a formal, emphatic replacement for el que, usually in non-defining clauses, as the object of a preposition (including a representing the indirect object). There are three main situations in which this happens.

First, it can be purely a matter of high style. This is used sparingly in Spanish, and so foreigners should avoid over-using it.

Es el asunto al cual se refería Vd. = "It is the matter to which you were referring"
In more everyday style, this might be phrased as:

Es el asunto al que te referías = "It's the matter you were referring to"
Second, el cual is often preferred after propositions of more than syllable (para, contra, entre, mediante...) and after prepositional phrases (a pesar de, debajo de, a causa de, frente a, en virtud de, gracias a, por consecuencia de...).

Un régimen bajo el cual es imposible vivir = "A régime under which it is impossible to live"
Estas cláusulas, sin perjuicio de las cuales... = "These clauses, notwithstanding which..."
Third, el cual is preferred when it is separated from its antecedent by intervening words. The more words that intervene, the more the use of el cual is practically obligatory.

Es un billete con el que se puede viajar [...] pero por el cual se paga sólo 2€ = "It is a ticket that you can travel with [...] but for which you pay just €2"

Answer 2

You use cual when you offer an option in a question, for example "Which one of those men is your father?" = "¿Cual de esos hombres es tu padre?"
"Algun" is an undefinite article, so it must be before a noun (cannot go alone): "some money" = "algun dinero".
"Algo" is neuter and general, meaning "something": "I'm looking for something special" = "Busco algo especial".
"Alguno" is a pronoun, so it substitutes a noun: "I have some book. Do you want to read any?" = "Tengo algunos libros. ¿Quieres leer alguno?"

Answer 3

Actually, you got it right, and you should use them as their meaning. Cuál means which, and Qué means what. Now, you have to understand that we, spanish speakers, not all the time speak grammatically correct...we can say... Qué color te gusta más, rojo o *****? (what color do you like more, red or black?) or say: Cuál color te gusta más, rojo o ***** (which color do you like more, red or black?). One thing though, you use Cuál instead of Qué to ask names (not the same in english: What is your name?), you have to say: Cuál es tu nombre or Cómo te llamas?
So you see....
Now for algún and alguno, let´s see if I can explain that.
algún means some/any. It's an adjective, before the masculine noun.
You can use alguno/a/s as indefinite pronoun: Algunos llegaron temprano a la reunión (Some people arrived early at the party). It can also be used as an adjective after the nouns: No hay problema alguno (There's no problem).
hope this helps

Answer 4

1. Cual is for 'Which.' Que is for 'What.'

Examples:
¿Cual es tu pelicula favorita? - Which is your favorite movie?
¿Que pasa? - What's up?

2. I'm not too sure about that one. We just learned this stuff in my Spanish class, but I don't remember exactly how to use it.

Answer 5

In principle, yes

which is cuál or cual
what is qué

but while what is always qué, which sometimes can also be qué

which is best, to live or to die? = ¿Qué es mejor, vivir o morir?
which house is that? = ¿Qué casa es aquella?

You just follow the rule, but keep in mind that there are exceptions.

algo = something
algún = some
alguno = someone, anyone, any

Answer 6

The door to the sun is in the center of the city and is one of the more popular and animated plazas around. Here there is a monument that illustraes the distinctive emblems(coat of arms) of Madrid: the bear and madrono( a type of tree). Here there is also the 0 kilometer sign where six of the national highways emerge. Close to here is the main plaza where there are many cafes (out in the open) where you can eat tapas (food) and drink your favorite soft drink.

Answer 7

whatever you heard is correct, cual means which and que means what...there are exceptions, but thats those are the primary meanings

Answer 8

it dependes on the context but cual is which, its like:
which one is your favorite? you would use "cual"
what is your name? you woul use "cual"
what color? you would use "que"
what kind of? you woukd use "que"

Answer 9

please help :
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AmXrTFmm2Fl3w9URAl_Dgp7sy6IX?qid=20070524171420AA22jWd