Spanish Phrase
Tuve un accidente de coche. ¿Y ahora qué?
Meaning
The speaker is telling someone that they were involved in a car crash and is asking what should be done next. It conveys both the factual report of the accident and a sense of uncertainty or urgency about the next steps.
When to use
Use this sentence right after you’ve been in a car accident and you need advice, assistance, or instructions—whether you’re speaking to a friend, a police officer, or a roadside assistance service.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Tuveunaccidentedecoche.¿Yahoraqué?
Preterite of "tener"
"Tuve" is the first‑person singular preterite form of "tener", used for completed actions in the past.
Noun phrase "accidente de coche"
The structure "accidente de X" is the standard way to say "X accident"; here "coche" (car) is the vehicle involved.
Interrogative phrase "¿Y ahora qué?"
A colloquial way to ask "And now what?". "Y" links the previous statement, "ahora" means "now", and "qué" functions as the question word.
Punctuation
Spanish uses inverted question marks (¿) at the beginning of a question and a period after the first statement.
🗨In Conversation
Tuve un accidente de coche. ¿Y ahora qué?
I had a car accident. And now what?
Primero llama a la policía y a tu aseguradora, y luego revisa si hay heridos.
First call the police and your insurer, and then check if anyone is injured.
✕Common Mistakes
Tuve un accidente con coche.
Use "de" to link the accident with the vehicle; "con" changes the meaning to "I had an accident with a car (as a tool)".
¿Y ahora que?
The interrogative "qué" needs an accent; without it the word means "what" as a noun, not a question.
¿Y ahora ahora qué?
Repeating "ahora" is redundant and sounds unnatural.
↔Alternatives
He tenido un accidente de coche. ¿Qué hago ahora?
I've had a car accident. What should I do now?
Me he chocado con el coche. ¿Qué sigue?
I've crashed my car. What’s next?
Tuve un choque de auto. ¿Qué debo hacer ahora?
I had a car crash. What must I do now?
Cultural Tip
In most Spanish‑speaking countries, the law requires you to stop, exchange contact and insurance information, and call the police if there is any damage or injury. Using polite but direct language, like "¿Podrías ayudarme?" or "Necesito asistencia", is appreciated. Also, note that "coche" is common in Spain, while "auto" or "carro" is more frequent in Latin America.