qué pasa

5 synonyms for qué pasa, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Phrase — A Spanish greeting meaning 'what's happening?' or 'what's up?', used in English as a casual hello.

Synonyms

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

what's up what's happening how's it going what's wrong what's going on

Synonyms by Meaning

1. phrase informal

A Spanish greeting meaning 'what's happening?' or 'what's up?', used in English as a casual hello.

“Qué pasa, man — long time no see.”

what's up what's happening how's it going

2. phrase

A genuine question asking what is going on or what is wrong.

“You've gone quiet — qué pasa?”

what's wrong what's going on

How to use qué pasa

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

qué pasa amigo hey, qué pasa

Informal. Written properly with an accent on qué and question marks either side (¿qué pasa?), though English speakers usually drop both.

Etymology

Spanish qué 'what' plus pasa, third person singular of pasar 'to happen, to pass'.

Full origin of qué pasa →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between qué pasa and qué pasó?

Qué pasa is present tense — 'what's happening?' — and works as a greeting. Qué pasó is past tense — 'what happened?' — and asks about a specific event that has already taken place.

How do you reply to qué pasa?

As a greeting it barely needs an answer: nada ('nothing'), todo bien ('all good') or aquí, tranquilo ('just taking it easy') all work. If it was a real question, just say what is going on.

Nearby words

← Back to the full definition of qué pasa