Spanish Phrase
¿Qué sopa hay hoy?
Meaning
Literally, 'What soup is there today?' It is the standard way to ask a server or cafeteria staff which soup is being served on that particular day.
When to use
Use this phrase in restaurants, school or workplace cafeterias, and at family gatherings when you want to know the soup of the day before deciding what to eat.
✦Grammar Breakdown
¿Quésopahayhoy?
Qué (interrogative)
The word 'qué' with an accent asks for information; it means 'what' in questions.
sopa (noun)
A feminine noun meaning 'soup'. It does not need an article when used in a question like this.
hay (haber)
Third‑person singular of the impersonal verb 'haber', used to indicate existence: 'there is/are'.
hoy (adverb)
Means 'today' and usually follows the verb it modifies.
🗨In Conversation
¿Qué sopa hay hoy?
What soup is there today?
Hoy tenemos sopa de lentejas y una crema de calabaza.
Today we have lentil soup and a pumpkin cream.
✕Common Mistakes
Que sopa hay hoy?
Missing the accent changes the meaning to the conjunction 'that' instead of the question word 'what'.
¿Qué sopa está hoy?
Do not use 'está' here; 'hay' expresses existence, while 'está' would refer to location.
¿Qué hay sopa hoy?
The natural order is 'sopa hay', not 'hay sopa' in this interrogative structure.
↔Alternatives
¿Cuál es la sopa del día?
What is the soup of the day?
¿Qué tipo de sopa sirven hoy?
What kind of soup do they serve today?
¿Qué sopa ofrecen hoy?
What soup do you offer today?
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish‑speaking countries, a daily soup (sopa del día) is a staple of the menu, especially in school cafeterias and traditional eateries. The soup often changes based on season and local ingredients, so asking '¿Qué sopa hay hoy?' shows both curiosity and good manners. Remember that 'sopa' can also be used figuratively to mean 'a lot of trouble' (e.g., '¡Qué sopa!'), but in a dining context the literal meaning is clear.