CS Knowledge Base

Clipping of English Quechua or Spanish quechua, from Quechua qhichwa.

que

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

• Wiktionary’s coverage of Quechua terms

• IPA^(key): /ˈkjuː/

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

• Audio (US):

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

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 or Internet) Alternative form of queue.

• equ-

• cu (Somiedo, Armellada de Órbigo)
• cö (Cuarto de los Valles)
• qui (Cabrales)

From Latin quid, usurping the roles of quod.

• IPA^(key): /ke/ [ke]

que

1. that, what, which

• qué

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

• Audio (Barcelona):

  (file)

Inherited from Latin quem.

que

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

• què

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

que

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

que

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

   Que bonic és viure!

   How nice it is to live!

   Que parles català?

   Do you speak Catalan?

• què

• “que”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• “que”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026
• “que” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja (1963), “que”, in Diccionari català-valencià-balear (in Catalan)

Inherited from Spanish que (“that”).

que

1. that

que

1. (relative) who; that
2. (interrogative, formal) who

   Synonym: cosa

que

1. (before an adjective) how (to what degree or extent)
2. what

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

• IPA^(key): /ke/
• Rhymes: -e
• Syllabification: que

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:

que

1. who, whom, which, that

• o que

• Valeš, Miroslav (2021), Diccionariu de A Fala: lagarteiru, mañegu, valverdeñu (web), 2nd edition, Minde, Portugal: CIDLeS, published 2022, →ISBN, page 238

• IPA^(key): /kə/

• Audio:

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• Audio (France):

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• Audio (France (Lyon)):

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• Audio (France (Vosges)):

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• Rhymes: -ə

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

que

1. that (introduces a subordinate noun clause and connects it to its parent clause)

   Je vois que tu parles bien français.

   I see that you speak French well.

   • 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.

     If we went all the way up there, if we got higher, you would see that the world is beautiful, beautiful.

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.

• Unlike its English counterpart, que (sense 1) cannot be omitted in Standard French.

• parce que
• que de
• bien que

• Haitian Creole: ke

Inherited from Latin quam.

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

   Synonyms: juste, seulement, rien que

   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 [Thoughts]‎^[1], archived from the original on 30 September 2025:

     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.

• 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 is restricting:

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

    Il ne mange que des 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 singer 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.

• Haitian Creole: ke

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

que m (interrogative)

1. (slightly formal, accusative or predicate) The inanimate direct-object or predicative interrogative pronoun: what

   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?

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

   Que sommes-nous ? ― What are we?

   • 2014, “Égo”, performed by Indila:

     Qu’a-t-on fait de la vérité ?

     What have we done with the truth?

2. (slightly formal, used with inverted il) The inanimate subject interrogative pronoun in impersonal constructions.

   Qu'est-il arrivé ? ― What happened?

   Qu'en reste-t-il ? ― What remains of it?

3. (archaic except in idioms, nominative) The inanimate subject interrogative pronoun.

   Advienne que pourra ― Come what may

• (subject) qu'est-ce qui
• (less formal, object) qu'est-ce que
• (colloquial, object) quoi

• quelque

Inherited from Latin quem.

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.

• qui (nominative)
• lequel, qui, quoi (disjunctive)

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

• IPA^(key): /kɪ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: que

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese que, from Latin quid.

que

1. that
2. than (used in comparisons, to introduce the basis of comparison)

   Synonym: que non

   O inverno é mais frío que o verán.

   Winter is colder than summer.

Inherited from Latin quid.

que

1. what; which (interrogative only)

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

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!

que

1. what (interrogative only)

   ¿Que ves? ― What do you see?

2. that, which

que

1. that

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

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

que m (plural ques)

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

• (Latin-script letter names) letra; a, be, ce, de, e, efe, gue, hache, i, ele, eme, ene, eñe, o, pe, que, erre, ese, te, u, uve, xe, ceta / zeta

• “que”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026
• Seoane, Ernesto Xosé González; Granja, María Álvarez de la; Agrelo, Ana Isabel Boullón (2006–2022), “que”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval [Dictionary of dictionaries of Medieval Galician] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Santamarina, 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
• Barreiro, Xavier Varela; Guinovart, Xavier Gómez (2006–2018), “que”, in Corpus Xelmírez: corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval [Corpus Xelmírez: linguistic corpus of Medieval Galicia] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega

From q (/kw/) +‎ -e.

• IPA^(key): /kwe/, /kwɛ/

que (plural que-i)

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

• Latin script letter names: literi: 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 ^[edit]

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

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.

• IPA^(key): /k(w)e/

que

1. that

que

1. what (interrogative)

   Que tu prefere? ― What do you prefer?

• perque
• proque
• quecunque, qualcunque, etc.

que

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

• 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.

que

1. alternative form of quye

From Latin quia.

que

1. that

From Latin quid.

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

• French: que

• IPA^(key): /ke/

• Audio (Béarn):

  (file)

From Latin quem, accusative of quī.

que

1. (relative) that, which

• qué

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

que

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

• ke

From Latin quid, quis.

• IPA^(key): /kə/

que

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

que

1. that

• kil

• Middle French: que
  • French: que

• q̃, q̇ (abbreviation, in manuscripts)

Inherited from Latin quid (“what”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷid. Along the way, it also usurped the roles of quod and quia.

que

1. that (introduces a connecting clause)

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

From Latin quid, quis.

que

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

• Occitan: qué

que

1. that

• q (text messaging)
• q̃ (abbreviation, obsolete)

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese que, from Latin quid (“what”) (usurping as well the roles of Latin quod and quia), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷid, compare *kʷís. Cognate with English who.

• Audio (Brazil):

  (file)

• Audio (Brazil (São Paulo)):

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• Audio (Portugal (Porto)):

  (file)

• Homophones: qui (Brazil), quê (South Brazil)
• Hyphenation: que

This word may be stressed when mentioned instead of used.

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)

   Synonym: do que

   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)

   Synonyms: por causa que, porque

   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 her son’s music inspired in her.

   • 1933, Graciliano Ramos, chapter III, in Cahetés‎^[2], Rio de Janeiro: Livraria Schmidt Editora, pages 19–20:

     Se ella me pre­ferisse ao marido, não fazia mau negocio. E quando o velhote morresse, que aquelle trambolho não podia durar, eu amarrava-me a ella, passava a socio da firma e engendrava filhos muito bonitos.

     If she chose me over her husband, she wouldn’t be making a bad deal. And when the gramps died, seeing as that thing couldn’t last, I would get involved with her, rise to company partner and father beautiful children.

   • 1966, Sérgio Mendes, Brasil '66, “Mas que nada”, in Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66:

     Mas, que nada! Sai da minha frente, que eu quero passar!

     What nonsense! Get out of my face, [for] I want to pass!

9. (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.

• In the comparative sense, que takes subject pronouns when making a comparison with the subject:

  Ele é mais forte que eu.

  He is stronger than me.

  (literally, “He is more strong than I.”)

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!

que (not comparable)

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

   Que belo!

   How beautiful!

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

• “que”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “que”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

• q̃, q́ (archaic, scribal abbreviation)
• qu' (archaic, before vowels)
• q, k, khe (Internet slang, text messaging)

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

• IPA^(key): /ke/ [ke]

• Audio (Mexico):

  (file)

• Audio (Mexico):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -e
• Syllabification: que

que

1. that

   Él dice que está triste.

   He says that he is sad.

   • 2022 June 3, Sandee LaMotte, “El efecto 'Benjamin Button': científicos logran revertir el envejecimiento en ratones. El objetivo es hacer lo mismo con los humanos”, in CNN en Español‎^[3], archived from the original on 13 February 2026:

     Sinclair también toma 1 gramo de NMN, o mononucleótido de nicotinamida, que en el cuerpo se convierte en NAD+, o dinucleótido de nicotinamida y adenina.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. than

   Llego más tarde que tú.

   I am arriving later than you.

   Hace más frío aquí que ahí.

   It's colder here than there.

3. indicates reason; because, for

   ¡Ve más lento, que es resbaloso!

   Slow down, (for) it is slippery!

4. used to form sentences with an optative meaning; may [with subjunctive]

   Que te vaya bien.

   Good luck to you.

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

   Que Dios me perdone.

   May God forgive me.

5. indicates emphasis or repetitive answer

   ¿Tienes frío? No. ¿Tienes frío? Que no.

   Are you cold? No. Are you cold? I said no.

   ¡Vete! No. ¡Que te vayas! Que no.

   Go away! No. I told you to go! No.

   Que no te dije eso.

   I didn't tell you that.

que

1. who; that

   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

• “que”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025
• “que”, in Diccionario panhispánico de dudas [Pan-Hispanic Dictionary of Doubts] (in Spanish), 2nd edition, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española]; Association of Academies of the Spanish Language [Spanish: Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española], 2023, →ISBN
• “que”, in Diccionario de americanismos [Dictionary of Americanisms] (in Spanish), Association of Academies of the Spanish Language [Spanish: Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española], 2010
• “que”, in Diccionario del español de México [Dictionary of the Spanish of Mexico] (in Spanish), second edition, Mexican Academy of the Language [Spanish: Academia Mexicana de la Lengua], 2019
• Guido Gómez de Silva (2001), “que”, in Diccionario breve de mexicanismos [Brief Dictionary of Mexicanisms], first edition, Mexican Academy of the Language [Spanish: Academia Mexicana de la Lengua]
• Seco, Manuel; Andrés, Olimpia; Ramos, Gabino (2023), “que”, in Diccionario del español actual [Dictionary of Current Spanish] (in Spanish), third digital edition, Fundación BBVA

Inherited from Proto-Vietic *k-vɛː. Cognate with Muong que and Tho [Cuối Chăm] kʰwɛː¹.

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [kwɛ˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [kwɛ˧˧]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [wɛ˧˧]

que • (𣠗, 𢹾) (classifier cái, cây)

1. small stick

que • (𣠗, 𢹾)

1. Indicates a thinly elongated stuff

   một que củi ― a stick of firewood

   một que diêm ― a match

   một que kem ― an ice pop