hola y cómo estás
/ola i komo estas/from spelling rules
In Spanish, the phrase "hello and how are you" is expressed as hola y cómo estás.
This phrase is a common greeting used to say hello and ask about someone's well-being. In casual settings, you may also hear the informal phrase ¡Qué tal?, which translates to "What's up?" in English.
Which one should you use?
The default form hola y cómo estás uses the informal tú conjugation. If you wish to use the formal usted conjugation, you should say hola y cómo está.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the informal greeting ¿Qué onda? is predominantly used to mean "What's up?"
How does it change in a sentence?
When used in this greeting, the word cómo must include an accent mark to indicate that it is an interrogative word meaning "how".
When do people say it?
When someone greets you with this phrase, a common response is bien, gracias (well, thank you).
Did you know?
- While hola is universal, using ¿Qué onda? to say 'how are you' in Mexico literally translates to asking 'what wave' is happening.
- The greeting hola likely originated as a command to stop or pay attention, similar to the French holà, rather than as a friendly welcome.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, it is common to accompany a greeting like hola with a single kiss on the cheek or a light hug, regardless of gender.
Example conversation
Elena and Mateo meet at a cafe.
- ElenaHola y cómo estás, Mateo?Hello and how are you, Mateo?
- MateoHola, Elena. Estoy muy bien, gracias.Hello, Elena. I am very well, thank you.
- Elena¿Y tú, qué tal?And you, how is it going?
- MateoTodo bien por aquí.Everything is good here.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cómo, hola, y, CC BY-SA 4.0.
