hola, ¿cómo estás?
The Spanish phrase hola, ¿cómo estás? means "Hello, how are you?"
This is a common greeting used to say hello and ask how someone is doing. You may also encounter the popular phrase qué tal?, which means "how's it going?"
What does it mean word for word?
The word cómo literally means "how".
Which one should you use?
If you are speaking to elders, superiors or people you do not know well and wish to show respect, use ¿cómo está usted? instead.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, a common informal greeting is ¡Hola, qué tal?
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase ¿cómo estás? uses the informal second-person singular form of the verb estar.
When do people say it?
When someone greets you with this phrase, a common response is Bien, gracias. ¿Y tú? which means "Fine, thanks. And you?"
Did you know?
- Some theories suggest hola may be related to the Arabic phrase wal-lāh, which means 'by God!' or 'really?'
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, hola is often accompanied by a single or double kiss on the cheek, regardless of whether ¿cómo estás? is asked.
- In certain regions, people may respond to ¿cómo estás? with ahí vamos, which literally means 'there we go' and suggests they are just getting by.
Examples in context
- ¡Hola! Estoy genial, graciasHi! I'm great, thanks!
- ¡Hola, mamá! ¿Cómo estás?Hi, mom! How are you?
- ¡Hola, mi amor! Estoy bien, graciasHi, my love! I'm good, thanks!
- Hola, ¿cómo estás?Hello, how are you?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cómo, hola, CC BY-SA 4.0.
