come stai?
The English phrase "how are you?" is translated into Italian as come stai?
While come stai? is a standard greeting, you can use Come si sente? to specifically ask "How are you feeling?" to inquire about someone's health or well-being.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase come stai? is composed of come (how) and stai (the second-person singular present tense of stare, meaning "to stay" or "to be").
Which one should you use?
Come stai? is the informal version used with friends, family and people your own age. In contrast, Come sta? is the formal way to ask the same question. For a more laid-back approach, you can use Tutto bene?, which translates to "Everything okay?"
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing someone formally, you should use come sta? instead of come stai?
When do people say it?
A common and natural response to the greeting come stai? is Bene, grazie, meaning "Well, thanks."
Did you know?
- In some regions, instead of asking 'how are you?', people might ask Che si dice?, which literally translates to 'What is being said?'
- Using the formal come sta? with a close friend or family member can be perceived as a joke or a sign that you are suddenly angry and creating distance between you.
- In a very informal setting, Italians might shorten the greeting to just Tutto a posto?, which literally means 'Everything in its place?' It is used to check if everything in your life is organized and going well.
Examples in context
- Buongiorno, Signora Rossi. Come sta?Good morning, Mrs. Rossi. How are you?
- Buonasera, Signor Bianchi. Come si sente?Good evening, Mr. Bianchi. How are you feeling?
- Buon pomeriggio, Professor Baricelli. Come va?Good afternoon, Professor Baricelli. How's it going?
- Ciao Maria! Come stai oggi?Hi Maria! How are you today?
- Ehi Marco, come va?Hey Marco, how's it going?
- Salve Sara! Tutto bene?Hello Sara! Everything okay?
- Ciao! Come stai?Hi! How are you?
- Ciao, come stai?Hi, how are you?
- Scusa, come stai?Sorry, how are you?
Example conversation
Sofia and Lorenzo meet at a local cafe.
- SofiaCiao Lorenzo, come stai?Hi Lorenzo, how are you?
- LorenzoBene, grazie. E tu?Fine, thanks. And you?
- SofiaSto molto bene, grazie.I am doing very well, thanks.
- LorenzoChe bello sentirlo!That is good to hear!
