what is it?
An indirect question is a question that is embedded inside a main clause rather than asked directly. Instead of saying «¿Qué hago?» or «¿Dónde está?», you report or reflect on the question as part of a larger sentence: «No sé qué hacer» or «Pregúntale dónde está». The embedded question is introduced by an interrogative word (qué, cuándo, dónde, cómo, etc.) or by si for yes/no questions. The word order inside the embedded question is normal declarative order — not inverted as in a direct question — and the interrogative word always carries a written accent.
when to use it
Reporting or reflecting on a yes/no question. Use si to introduce the embedded question. This covers situations where the original question could be answered with «sí» or «no»: «No sé si voy a la fiesta».
Reporting or reflecting on a wh-question. Use the appropriate interrogative word (qué, cuándo, dónde, cómo, quién, etc.) followed by a finite clause: «No sabía cuándo empezaba la película».
Same subject in both clauses → infinitive. When the subject of the main clause and the embedded question are the same person, Spanish prefers a bare infinitive after the interrogative word instead of a full finite clause: «No sé qué hacer» (= I don't know what I should do). This construction is not available with si.
Typical trigger verbs. Indirect questions typically follow verbs of knowing, asking, telling, and wondering: saber, preguntar, decir, entender, recordar, explicar.
formation
There are two patterns depending on whether the subjects of the two clauses are the same or different.
| type | introducer | embedded part | example |
|---|---|---|---|
| yes/no (different or same subject) | si | finite clause | No sé si voy a la fiesta. |
| wh- (different subject) | qué / cuándo / dónde / … | finite clause | Pregúntale dónde está la parada. |
| wh- (same subject) | qué / cuándo / dónde / … | bare infinitive | No sé qué hacer. |
The interrogative word always keeps its written accent in indirect questions: qué, cuándo, dónde, cómo, quién. The accent is what distinguishes them from the conjunctions que, cuando, donde (no accent), which have entirely different grammatical roles.
Word order inside the embedded clause is declarative, not inverted. Compare the direct question «¿Dónde está la parada?» with the indirect version «Pregúntale dónde está la parada». The verb does not move.
examples in context
common pitfalls
Putting the interrogative word after the infinitive. The interrogative word must come before the infinitive, not after it. «✗ no sé hacer qué» is not Spanish. The correct order mirrors the direct question: «¿Qué hago?» → «no sé qué hacer».
Dropping the written accent on the interrogative word. Writing «no sabía que hacer» (no accent) turns «que» into the conjunction, which makes the sentence read as an obligation — «no sabía que hacer» sounds like a garbled version of «tener que hacer algo». The accent in «qué» is not optional; it signals the interrogative function.
Using «que» instead of «si» for yes/no indirect questions. «✗ No sé que voy a la fiesta» is wrong. The conjunction «que» introduces reported statements, not reported questions. To embed a yes/no question, use «si»: «No sé si voy a la fiesta».
Do not confuse «si» (if/whether, no accent) with «sí» (yes, with accent). In indirect questions the introducer is always «si» without an accent.
Three sentences, graded here. Nothing is saved and no account is needed.
Hay mucho desorden en el salón y no sé ___ limpiarlo hoy o dejarlo para mañana.
Fill in the blank with the correct word to complete the sentence.