Spanish Phrase
¿Y luego qué pasó?
Meaning
This is a common conversational filler used to encourage a speaker to continue their story. It focuses on the sequence of events and expresses genuine curiosity about the outcome of a situation.
When to use
Use this phrase when you are listening to an anecdote or a piece of news and want to hear the next part of the story. It is a great way to show you are engaged in the conversation.
✦Grammar Breakdown
¿Yluegoquépasó?
Luego
An adverb of time meaning 'then' or 'later', used to sequence events in a narrative.
Pasó
The third-person singular past tense (preterite) of 'pasar', used for completed actions.
🗨In Conversation
Estaba en el parque y de repente vi un oso.
I was in the park and suddenly I saw a bear.
¿Y luego qué pasó?
And then what happened?
✕Common Mistakes
¿Y luego qué pasa?
Use the preterite 'pasó' because you are asking about an event that has already occurred in the story.
¿Y luego que pasó?
The word 'qué' must have an accent mark here because it is being used as an interrogative pronoun.
↔Alternatives
¿Qué pasó después?
What happened afterwards?
¿Entonces qué?
So then what?
¿Y qué más?
And what else?
Cultural Tip
In Spanish-speaking cultures, active listening is often vocalized. Using interjections like this shows the speaker that you are following along and helps build rapport during social interactions.