Hola, ¿cómo estás?
The English phrase "hi, how are you doing?" is translated into Spanish as Hola, ¿cómo estás?
Which one should you use?
The form ¿Cómo estás? is the informal version used with friends, family or people your own age. In contrast, use ¿Cómo está usted? to be formal, which shows respect to elders, strangers or superiors.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word estás is the second-person singular conjugation of the verb estar (to be), which is used for temporary states like health or mood.
When do people say it?
A common natural response to this greeting is Bien, gracias. ¿Y tú? (Fine, thanks. And you?).
Did you know?
- In some regions, a person might reply to ¿Cómo estás? with Aquí, nomás, which literally means 'just here' and implies they are just getting by.
- When saying Hola, ¿cómo estás? to a friend in Spain or Latin America, it is often accompanied by a light touch on the arm or a hug, which is more physically intimate than English greetings.
- The word hola likely originated from an old command to 'stop' or 'hey!', rather than a word for 'hello'.
Examples in context
- Buenas tardes, ¿cómo está?Good afternoon, how are you?
- ¡Hola, ¿cómo estás?Hello, how are you?
- ¿Qué tal?How's it going?
- ¿Cómo estás?How are you?
- ¿Qué onda?What's up?
- Hola, ¿cómo estás?Hi, how are you doing?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cómo, hola, CC BY-SA 4.0.
