Which one should you use?
While ¿qué tal? serves as a general way to ask how things are going, the phrase ¿cómo estás? specifically asks about a person's current state or feelings. Other variations include ¿cómo te va?, which means "how are you doing?" or "how's life treating you?"
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase hola, ¿qué tal? is informal and is best used with friends, family or peers rather than in highly formal business settings. For a more time-specific greeting, you might use Buenas tardes, which means "good afternoon" and can be used from noon until the early evening.
How does it change in a sentence?
The expression ¿qué tal? is an elliptical expression, meaning it does not require a subject or a verb to be grammatically complete in casual conversation.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈola ˈke ˈtal/
When do people say it?
When someone asks you ¿qué tal?, a common and natural response is bien, ¿y tú? (good and you?).
Did you know?
- The word hola may not have originated as a friendly greeting, but rather as an emphatic command like 'hey! stop!' intended to hail someone or a ferryman.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, ¿qué tal? can be used as a way to ask 'what about…?' when introducing a new topic, rather than just as a greeting.
Examples in context
- Hola, ¿qué tal?Hello, what's up?
