Dictionary of Spoken Spanish/Part 1/Q

by the United States War Department

Q

• que that, which Tomaré el tren que llegue primero. I'll take the first train that arrives. ^▲ that, on which, when El día que vino era miércoles. The day he came was Wednesday. ^▲ who Ud., que es una experta, debe seguramente saberlo. You're an expert; you should certainly know. ^▲ whom Ese es el muchacho de que le hablé. That's the boy I spoke to you about. ^▲ what No'sé qué haré mañana. I don't know what I'll do tomorrow.—¿Qué ha sido de su hermano? What's become of your brother? ^▲ that Estaba tan cambiado que no le conocí. He looked so changed that I didn't recognize him. ^▲ that Dudo que venga. I doubt that he'll come. ^▲ than La otra es mejor que ésta. The other's better than this.

○ el (or la, los, las) que he (or she, they) who, the one(s) who, anyone who El que quiera beber que venga conmigo. Anyone who wants a drink, come with me. ○ ¿qué? which? ¿Qué libro le gusta a Ud. más? Which book do you like better? ^▲ what kind of? ¿Dime qué gente es esa? Tell me, what kind of people are they? ○ ¡qué! how! ¡Qué bonito es ese cuadro! How pretty that picture is! ^▲ what! what a! ¡Qué tontería! What nonsense!—¡Qué niño! What a child! ○ ¡qué de! how many! ¡Qué de cosas me contó! How many things he told me! ○ ¡ qué va! go on! come on! how come? (expressing disbelief) ¡Qué va! Eso no es cierto. Go on! That's not true. ○ sin qué ni para qué without cause or motive. ○ un no'sé qué a certain something Tiene un no'sé qué que atrae. She has a certain something that's attractive.
|| ¿Qué más da? What's the difference? || ¿Pues qué? So what?

• quebrado rough, rugged Estos últimos dias hemos viajado por terrenos muy quebrados. We've been through some very rough country in the last few days. ^▲ broken Trace una línea quebrada. Draw a broken line.
  ○ estar quebrado to be ruptured. ○ número quebrado fraction (mathematics).
• quebrar to break Quebró un vaso. He broke a glass. ^▲ to fail El banco quebró cuando nadie lo esperaba. The bank failed when no one expected it.○ ○ quebrarse to break El plato se quebró. The plate broke. ^▲ to break (a bone) Al caer se quebró un brazo. He broke his arm when he fell.
• quedar to be left El bolso quedó sobre la mesa. The purse was left on the table.—Sólo me quedan unos centavos. I have only a few cents left. ^▲ to remain La carta quedó sin contestar. The letter remained unanswered. ^▲ to be Queda lejos de aquí. It's far from here.
  ○ quedar (bien) to come out (well) Quedó muy bien el trabajo. The work came out very well. ○ quedar bien con to make a hit with, get along well with Está quedando bien con ella. He's making a hit with her. ○ quedar de to promise to [Am] Quedamos de llegar el domingo. We promised to come Sunday. ○ quedar en to agree, have an understanding Quedamos en que vendría a las ocho. We agreed that he'd come at eight. ○ quedarse to remain, stay Nuestro amigo se quedó en Europa. Our friend stayed in Europe. ○ quedarse atrás to stay behind. ○ quedarse con to take Me quedo con el azul. I'll take the blue one. ○ quedarse limpio to get cleaned out Jugó a las cartas y se quedó limpio. He played cards and was cleaned out.

|| ¿Se puede saber en qué quedamos? Can we find out where we stand?

• quehaceres [m pl] de casa household chores.
• queja complaint.
• quejarse to complain No tiene Ud. de qué quejarse. You have nothing to complain about.
• quema burning La quema de las hojas. The burning of the leaves.
  ○ huir de la quema to get away from trouble, beat it Al ver lo que iba a ocurrir, huyó de la quema. When he saw what was going to happen, he beat it.
• quemado (see quemar) burnt Huele a quemado. It smells burnt.
  ○ quemado por el sol sunburned.
• quemadura burn, scald.
• quemar to burn ¿Quién quemó esta cortina? Who burned this curtain?
  ○ quemarse to burn oneself Cuidado, puede Ud. quemarse. Be careful, you'll burn yourself.
• querer [irr] to want, wish ¿Qué quiere Ud. comer? What do you want to eat? ^▲ to love La quiere mucho. He loves her very much.
  ○ como quiera que sea in any case Como quiera que sea, iremos. In any case, we'll go. ○ donde quiera anywhere, wherever. ○ querer decir to mean ¿Qué quiere decir esta palabra? What does this word mean? ○ sin querer unwillingly; unintentionally Lo hizo sin querer. He did it unwillingly.
• querido [adj] dear, beloved Querido hijo: . . . Dear son: . . .
• queso cheese.
• quiebra bankruptcy, failure.
• quien who, whom ¿Quién llamo? Who called?—Son los muchachos de quienes le hablé. They're the boys I spoke to you about.—Es la muchacha a quien más quiero. She's the girl I like best of all. ^▲ whoever, anyone who Quien así piense se equivoca. Whoever thinks so is wrong.
  ○ ¿quién sabe? who knows? "¿Crees

que va a llover?" "¿Quién sabe?" "Do you think it'll rain?" "Who knows?"

• quienquiera whoever Deja pasar a quienquiera que venga. Whoever comes, let him in.
• quieto [adj] still Estése quieto un momento. Stand (or Sit) still a moment. ^▲ calm El lago ha estado quieto todo el día. The lake's been calm all day. ^▲ quiet Es una chica muy quieta. She's a very quiet girl.
• quietud [f] quiet, repose.
• quijada jaw.
• química chemistry.
• químico chemical. ^▲ [n] chemist.
• quince fifteen.
• quincena ○ por quincena(s) every two weeks, semi-monthly.
• quinientos five hundred.
• quinina quinine.
• quinta country house.
• quintal [m] a hundred pounds.
• quinto [adj] fifth. ^▲ [m] nickel (coin) [Mex].
• quitar to take away Quitaremos esta mesa de aquí. We'll take this table away from here. ^▲ to subtract Hay que quitar esta cantidad del total. You have to subtract this amount from the total.
  ○ quitarse to take off (clothing) No se quite el abrigo. Don't take off your overcoat. ^▲ to come out Estas manchas no se quitan. These stains won't come out. ^▲ to give up Se ha quitado el vicio de la bebida. He's given up drinking. ○ quitarse de en medio to get out of the way. ○ quitarse el agua to stop raining [Am] Cuando se quite el agua saldremos. When it stops raining we'll go out. ○ quitarse un peso de encima to take a load off one's mind. ○ quitar tiempo to take (too much) time Este trabajo le quita mucho tiempo. This work's taking too much of his time.
• quizá, quizás perhaps, maybe.