Spanish Phrase
¿Qué efectos secundarios hay?
Meaning
The sentence asks about the possible side effects of a medication, treatment, or product. It is a neutral, direct way to request information on adverse reactions that might occur.
When to use
Use this question during a medical consultation, at the pharmacy, or when reading a medication leaflet. It works well when you need a quick overview of the most common or serious side effects.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Quéefectossecundarioshay
Qué (interrogative pronoun)
Used at the beginning of a question to ask for information; it agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies.
efectos secundarios (noun phrase)
A compound noun where 'efectos' is the head and 'secundarios' is an adjective that agrees in gender and number.
hay (impersonal haber)
Third‑person singular form of the verb 'haber' used to indicate existence; it does not change with the subject.
🗨In Conversation
¿Qué efectos secundarios hay?
What side effects are there?
Los efectos secundarios más comunes son náuseas y dolor de cabeza, pero también pueden aparecer mareos.
The most common side effects are nausea and headache, but dizziness can also occur.
✕Common Mistakes
¿Qué efectos secundarios tienes?
Using 'tener' suggests possession; the correct impersonal verb for existence is 'hay'.
¿Qué efectos secundarios es?
The verb 'ser' does not express existence; 'hay' must be used.
¿Qué efectos secundarios hayes?
The verb 'haber' is irregular; only the form 'hay' is used in this construction.
↔Alternatives
¿Cuáles son los efectos secundarios?
What are the side effects?
¿Qué efectos adversos tiene?
What adverse effects does it have?
¿Qué reacciones adversas pueden presentarse?
What adverse reactions might occur?
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish‑speaking countries patients often preface the question with a polite phrase such as 'Disculpe, doctor' or '¿Podría decirme…?'. 'Efectos secundarios' is the everyday term, while 'reacciones adversas' sounds more formal and is common in written medical documents.