¿cómo está?
usted
The English phrase "how are you" can be translated into Spanish using ¿cómo está? (usted) or ¿qué tal?
Meaning: greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¿cómo está? | usted | ||
| ¿qué tal? | /ˈke ˈtal/ (word by word) | colloquial |
Both phrases serve as greetings to ask how someone is doing.
Which one should you use?
¿cómo está? is the formal way to ask how someone is, while ¿qué tal? is a more casual, colloquial way to say "how are you" or "how's it going?" compared to the formal version.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
¿cómo está? is used with people you do not know well or in professional settings. ¿qué tal? is a colloquial form.
How does it change in a sentence?
The informal version of the formal ¿cómo está? is ¿cómo estás?, which uses the 'tú' form.
How do you pronounce it?
usted
When do people say it?
A common and natural response to both ¿cómo está? and ¿qué tal? is Bien, gracias.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, asking ¿qué tal? is often used as a mere way to say 'hello' without actually expecting a detailed report on your health or mood.
- While ¿cómo está? asks about your state of being, the word cómo originates from a non-literary Latin form, cōmō̆, rather than the standard 'quōmodo'.
- In many Latin American cultures, it is customary to ask ¿cómo está? not only to the person you are meeting but also to their family members as a sign of respect.
Examples in context
- Hola, Susan. ¿Qué tal?Hi, Susan. How are you?This sentence shows a greeting using ¿qué tal?Tatoeba #10151681 by saverius, translation #54605 by CN
- «¿Qué tal?» «No me puedo quejar.»"How are you?" "I can't complain."This sentence shows a dialogue where one person asks ¿qué tal?Tatoeba #2384863 by Shishir, translation #884471 by CK
- ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal?Hi! How are you?Tatoeba #535236 by Shishir, translation #30316 by Zifre
- ¿Qué tal? Hace mucho que no nos vemos.How's it going? It's been a long time since we last saw each other.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía is greeting her boss, Mateo, at the office.
- SofíaBuenos días, Mateo. ¿Cómo está?Good morning, Mateo. How are you?
- MateoMuy bien, gracias. ¿Y usted?Very well, thank you. And you?
- SofíaTodo bien, gracias por preguntar.Everything is fine, thanks for asking.
- MateoMe alegro mucho, Sofía.I am very glad, Sofía.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “how are you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (qué, tal) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cómo, qué, tal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
