De Que

Spanish grammar distinguishes between "que" and "de que" when translating the English word "that." "Que" functions as a relative pronoun or simple conjunction, while "de que" is used when the verb or noun requires the preposition "de" before the clause. For example, "Me acuerdo de que" is correct because "acordarse" needs "de," but "Me acuerdo que" is also commonly accepted in many regions.

The use of "de que" instead of "que" is called dequeísmo and is often considered a grammatical error in prescriptive Spanish. It occurs when speakers add "de" unnecessarily, like in "Me dijo de que estaba cansado" instead of "Me dijo que estaba cansado." This often happens as hypercorrection to avoid the opposite error, queísmo. In French, "que de" has a different meaning, translating to "such a lot of" or "so many," as in "Que de livres!".

A popular Instagram video by La profe Mónica explains this controversy with examples like "Me acuerdo de que" versus "Me acuerdo que." The lesson frames dequeísmo as a lighthearted debate among Spanish learners, since regional usage varies widely across Latin America.