What is the difference between Que and Como?

Question

Can you tell me the difference between que and como?

For example, the following sentence is right: Que dia é hoje?

But I would have used como instead of que.

I've figured out the following website, which lists some rules related to que and como. It's Spanish, yes, but I guess the rules related to that interrogative pronouns are the same in that case.

Is that website right? https://www.spanishdict.com/compare/qué/cómo

Answer 1

To start, I'd like to welcome you to the website. Yes, the website you provided is correct (after all there are many similarities between the Spanish and Portuguese languages, as this is, in fact, one of them).

When using these two words to introduce a question, they can be more simply translated to how/what:

• Que vou comer? = What will I eat?
• Como vou comer? = How will I eat?

However, do not be led into thinking these are direct translations; both of these words can be used in many other contexts. To give you an example, the word Como as a conjugation has the following uses (from Priberam):

1. Introduces a comparison, indicating that something is done or happens in the same way as something else (eg: I do this as my mother taught me/Eu faço isto como a minha mãe me ensinou) = AS, LIKE
2. Used to introduce the second term in an equality comparison, usually preceded by so (eg: she's as tall as her father = ela é tão alta como o pai).
3. Used in a comparison, preceded by so, to indicate equality or equivalence (eg: I think it was as fast as it was effective in the solution = acho que foi tão rápido como eficaz na solução). = HOW MUCH
4. Indicates someone's perspective or status in relation to something (eg: as a citizen = como um cidadão). = AS, IN THE QUALITY OF
5. Introduce an expression of cause (eg as the store is already closed, we'll be back tomorrow = como a loja vai fechar
6. ...

The list goes on, but my point is simply this: do not assume how/what are the only two translations of those two words.