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Lesson 10

Who and What Is It?

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¡Hola! Welcome back.

In our last lesson, you did a great job learning how to use the possessives mi (my) and tu (your). You can now form essential phrases like mi hijo and tu libro, which is a fantastic step toward building everyday conversations.

Today, we'll learn two of the most useful questions in any language, which will be especially helpful for you and your son as you explore the world together. Our learning outcome is to ask and answer '¿Quién es?' (Who is it?) and '¿Qué es esto?' (What is this?). These questions are conversational power tools. They will allow you to ask about people you see and objects you encounter, turning any moment into a learning opportunity.

We'll use what you already know (es, mi, tu) to form the answers, so you'll see how your knowledge is starting to connect.

Asking About Things: ¿Qué es esto?

Let's start with objects. When you want to ask "What is this?" in Spanish, you say:

¿Qué es esto?

  • Qué (pronounced 'keh') means "What"
  • es means "is"
  • esto means "this"

The typical answer is:

Esto es un... (This is a...) or Esto es una... (This is a...)

Remember our lesson on el and la? The same logic applies to un (for masculine nouns, often ending in -o) and una (for feminine nouns, often ending in -a).

  • un libro (a book)
  • una mesa (a table)

To see and hear this in action, let's watch a video that breaks it down clearly. The presenter uses common objects and gives you plenty of chances to practice.

Learn Everyday Objects in Spanish: What's this? (¿Qué es esto?)

This video from Speak Spanish Easily demonstrates the question ¿Qué es esto? and its answer in a very clear, repetitive way that is perfect for practice.

Please watch the following parts: From the beginning to 02:20 to hear the question and see examples like Esto es un libro. From 03:53 to 05:03 for a simple explanation of un (masculine) and una (feminine). From 05:03 to 07:45 to practice asking the question and forming answers.

This video gives you a great foundation. You can now point to an object and ask your son, ¿Qué es esto?, and help him answer, Esto es una pelota (This is a ball).

Asking About People: ¿Quién es?

Now, let's switch from objects to people. When you want to ask "Who is it?" or "Who is he/she?", you say:

¿Quién es?

  • Quién (pronounced 'kyen') means "Who"
  • es means "is"

The answer structure is simple. You'll use Es... followed by the person's name or title. This is where your previous lessons come together perfectly!

  • ¿Quién es? -> Es mi hijo. (He is my son.)
  • ¿Quién es? -> Es la profesora. (She is the teacher.)
  • ¿Quién es? -> Es David. (He is David.)

The following short, animated video is designed for kids, which makes it perfect for learning the kind of simple, clear phrases you want to use with your son.

Family members in Spanish! | Spanish for kids

The video 'Family members in Spanish!' from happygolingo directly models how to ask ¿Quién es? and answer with family members.

Watch from the beginning to 01:25. Listen closely for the question ¿Quién es? and the answers that follow, like Es mi mamá and Es mi papá.

To reinforce this, let's quickly review the rule in writing.

The Only Guide You'll Ever Need to Use Question Words in ...

This article from Spanish Academy gives a concise explanation of the question word 'Quién'.

Find the section titled '2. ¿Quién/Quiénes? – Who?'. Just read the first few lines and the examples ¿Quién es él? (Who is he?) and ¿Quién es? (Who is it?). This will quickly confirm what you just heard in the video.

Notice the article also mentions quiénes. That's the plural form ("Who are they?"), but for now, let's stick with the singular ¿Quién es?.

Let's Practice!

Now it's time to put both questions to use.

Imagine you're looking at a family photo album with your son. You can use these visuals to practice.

Spanish Family Vocabulary Flashcards
These flashcards show cartoon family members with their Spanish names, such as 'la madre' and 'el padre'.

Pointing to the father figure, you could ask ¿Quién es?. A good answer would be Es el padre (He is the father) or Es mi padre (He is my father).

Now, let's try a quick quiz to test your understanding.

Test your understanding!

Imagine you are with your son. How would you handle these situations?

  1. You see a toy car on the floor. How do you ask him, "What is this?"
  2. He points to a picture of you. You ask him, ¿Quién es?. What do you hope he says? (Hint: Use what we learned last lesson!)
  3. You point to his water bottle (botella de agua). He asks you, ¿Qué es esto?. How do you answer, "This is your water bottle"?
Show answer
  1. You would ask: ¿Qué es esto?
  2. He might say: Es mi papá. (He is my dad.)
  3. You would answer: Esto es tu botella de agua. (We combine Esto es with the possessive tu from our last lesson.)

Key Takeaways

¡Excelente! You've just added two of the most powerful questions to your Spanish toolkit. These are fundamental for curiosity and conversation.

  • To ask about an object: ¿Qué es esto?
    • Answer with: Esto es un/una...
  • To ask about a person: ¿Quién es?
    • Answer with: Es... (e.g., Es mi hijo, Es la profesora).

Next Steps

In our next lesson, we will focus on learning the names of common objects around the house (la mesa, la silla, la puerta, la cama). This will give you the perfect vocabulary to practice your new question, ¿Qué es esto?, in a very practical way at home.

For now, try using these questions today. Point to food at dinner, toys in the living room, or people in a book. ¡Hasta la próxima