¿cómo van las cosas?
/ˈkomo ˈban las ˈkosas/word by word
The English phrase 'how are things' is translated into Spanish as ¿cómo van las cosas?
Meaning: Translations (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'how go the things?' because the verb van is the third-person plural of ir (to go).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
You might encounter ¿Qué tal todo?, which is a more common and slightly more informal way to ask 'how's everything?' in casual conversation.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you choose to use the singular form la cosa instead of the plural las cosas, you must change the verb to the singular form va to create ¿cómo va la cosa?
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkomo ˈban las ˈkosas/
When do people say it?
When someone asks you this question, a common and natural response is Todo bien (Everything's good).
Did you know?
- The verb van comes from the Latin vadunt, which is the root of the English word 'evade' and 'invade', both of which relate to the movement of 'going' or 'passing' through.
- In some Latin American countries, the response Todo bien is used as a reflex, even if things are actually going poorly, to maintain social harmony.
- Depending on the region, using ¿Qué tal todo? can be seen as more sincere and personal than the slightly more detached ¿cómo van las cosas?
Examples in context
- ¿Cómo van las cosas?How are things?This sentence is a simple example of the phrase ¿cómo van las cosas?Tatoeba #569370 by Shishir, translation #569283 by CM
- ¿Cómo van las cosas? ¿Va todo bien?How are things with you? Everything all right?This example shows the phrase ¿cómo van las cosas? being used alongside another question.Tatoeba #10826510 by carlosalberto, translation #10826503 by carlosalberto
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo run into each other at a cafe.
- Lucía¡Hola, Mateo! ¿Cómo van las cosas?Hi, Mateo! How are things?
- MateoTodo bien, Lucía, ¿y tú?Everything is fine, Lucía, and you?
- LucíaMuy bien también, gracias.Very well too, thanks.
- MateoMe alegra mucho escucharlo.I am very glad to hear that.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (cómo, van, las, cosas) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cómo, las, van, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
