Spanish Phrase
¿Qué es un detector de humo?
Meaning
The sentence asks for a definition of a smoke detector, a device that senses airborne particles from fire and triggers an alarm. It is a typical informational question used when learning about home safety or technical vocabulary.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to clarify what a smoke detector does, when you’re discussing fire‑prevention equipment, or when you’re studying household safety terms in Spanish.
✦Grammar Breakdown
¿Quéesundetectordehumo?
¿Qué?
Interrogative pronoun used to ask for a definition or explanation; it carries an accent on the 'e'.
es (ser)
Third‑person singular of the verb 'ser', used for essential definitions.
un (indefinite article)
Indefinite masculine article; used because 'detector' is a countable noun.
detector de humo
A compound noun; 'de' links the device to what it detects. No plural 'humos' in standard usage.
Question marks
Spanish requires opening (¿) and closing (?) question marks.
🗨In Conversation
¿Qué es un detector de humo?
What is a smoke detector?
Es un aparato que detecta el humo de un incendio y avisa con una alarma para que la gente pueda evacuar a tiempo.
It’s a device that detects the smoke from a fire and alerts with an alarm so people can evacuate in time.
✕Common Mistakes
¿Qué es un detector de humos?
The correct term is singular 'humo' because the device detects smoke in general, not multiple kinds of smoke.
¿Qué es el detector de humo?
When asking for a definition, the indefinite article 'un' is preferred; 'el' would imply a specific detector already known.
Que es un detector de humo?
Do not omit the accent on 'qué'; without it the word becomes the conjunction 'que' and the sentence loses its interrogative meaning.
↔Alternatives
¿Cómo funciona un detector de humo?
How does a smoke detector work?
¿Para qué sirve un detector de humo?
What is a smoke detector used for?
¿Qué significa detector de humo?
What does 'detector de humo' mean?
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish‑speaking countries, fire safety regulations require smoke detectors in homes, schools, and public buildings. When talking about them, you’ll often hear the term 'alarma de humo' as well. In informal conversation, people may simply say 'el detector' if the context is clear, but be careful not to confuse it with 'detector de gases' which monitors other substances.