hola, com estàs?
The English phrase "hello, how are you" is translated into Catalan as hola, com estàs?
This phrase is a common greeting used to say hello and ask about someone's well-being.
Which one should you use?
com estàs? is the version used when addressing someone informally, such as a friend or a peer. In contrast, com esteu? is used when addressing a group of people or when using the formal "you" (vostè/vostès).
When do people say it?
A common response to the question com estàs? is bé, gràcies, i tu? (fine, thanks and you?).
Did you know?
- In some regions of Catalonia, a greeting like com estàs? may be accompanied by a double cheek kiss, starting with the right side.
- While hola is used in Catalan, it was actually borrowed from Spanish rather than evolving independently from Latin.
- If you are in a very informal setting in Barcelona, you might hear people skip the formal inquiry and simply use a quick què tal? instead of the full com estàs?
Examples in context
- Bon dia, com està?Good morning, how are you?
- Bona tarda, com està?Good afternoon, how are you?
- Bona nit, com està?Good evening, how are you?
- Hola, com estàs?Hello, how are you?
- Què tal?What's up?
- Com va tot?How's everything going?
- Bon dia, com anem?Good morning, how are we doing?
- Hola, com aneu?Hello, how are you doing?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries com, hola, CC BY-SA 4.0.
