¿cómo está?
usted
The English phrase "how are you" is translated into Spanish as ¿cómo está? (usted) Wiktionary also lists ¿qué tal?
Meaning: greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¿cómo está? | usted | ||
| ¿qué tal? | /ˈke ˈtal/ (word by word) | colloquial |
Which one should you use?
¿cómo está? is the formal version used with people you do not know well or to show respect. In contrast, ¿qué tal? is a more casual, colloquial way to say "how are you" or "how's it going".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
¿qué tal? is a colloquial option.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb estar changes from está (formal/usted) to estás (informal/tú) to reflect the level of familiarity.
How do you pronounce it?
usted
When do people say it?
A common and standard response to any form of "how are you" is Bien, gracias. When someone uses the colloquial ¿qué tal?, a natural and common response is Todo bien.
Did you know?
- While ¿cómo está? asks about a person's state, the verb estar is used because health and mood are considered temporary conditions. If a speaker used the other verb for being, ser, it would imply a permanent characteristic of the person.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, the greeting is often followed by a physical gesture, such as a single kiss on the cheek or a handshake, which is just as important as the words themselves.
- The word qué in ¿qué tal? is derived from the Latin word quid, which is the same root used for the English word 'quid' meaning a British pound sterling.
Examples in context
- Hola, Susan. ¿Qué tal?Hi, Susan. How are you?This sentence shows a greeting using ¿qué tal?Tatoeba #10151681 by saverius, translation #54605 by CN
- «¿Qué tal?» «No me puedo quejar.»"How are you?" "I can't complain."This sentence shows a dialogue where ¿qué tal? is used.Tatoeba #2384863 by Shishir, translation #884471 by CK
- ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal?Hi! How are you?This sentence shows a simple greeting with ¿qué tal?Tatoeba #535236 by Shishir, translation #30316 by Zifre
- Bien, graciasFine, thank you
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena meet in a professional office setting.
- MateoBuenos días, Elena. ¿Cómo está?Good morning, Elena. How are you?
- ElenaMuy bien, gracias, Mateo.Very well, thank you, Mateo.
- Mateo¿Está lista para la reunión?Are you ready for the meeting?
- ElenaSí, estoy lista.Yes, I am ready.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “how are you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (qué, tal) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cómo, qué, tal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
