What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of cómo (how), están (are – plural/formal) and todos (all/everyone), literally translating to "How are all [of you]?"
Which one should you use?
While ¿cómo están todos? is a standard way to ask how everyone is, you may see other variations: ¿Cómo están todos ustedes? means "How are you all doing?", ¿Cómo se encuentran todos? means "How is everyone doing?" and the informal ¿Cómo andan todos? also means "How is everyone doing?"
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
¿cómo están todos? is considered a formal or neutral greeting. For a more formal tone, you can use ¿Cómo están todos ustedes? or ¿Cómo se encuentran todos? In an informal setting, you might use ¿Cómo andan todos?
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Latin America, ¿cómo están todos? is widely used in Mexico, Central America and parts of South America, while ¿Cómo están todos ustedes? is used widely across most Spanish-speaking countries in the region. In some parts of Central America and the Caribbean, ¿Cómo siguen todos? is common. In Spain, you would typically use ¿Cómo estáis todos? when addressing friends or family or ¿Cómo estáis, chicos? to address a group informally with a friendly touch.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb están is the third-person plural form of estar, which is the verb used for temporary states like well-being.
When do people say it?
When someone greets you with this phrase, common responses include Bien, gracias (Well, thanks) or Muy bien, ¿y ustedes? (Very well and you all?).
Did you know?
- In the informal version ¿Cómo andan todos?, the verb andan literally means 'to walk'. It frames well-being as a way of moving through life rather than a static state.
- In Spain, the phrase ¿Cómo estáis todos? uses the vosotros form, which is almost entirely absent from the spoken Spanish of Latin America.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, answering Bien to this question is a social ritual, even if the person is actually struggling, to maintain harmony in the group.
Examples in context
- ¿Cómo están todos?How are you all?This example shows the standard way to ask how everyone is.Tatoeba #576618 by Shishir, translation #914019 by Jane_Austen
- Hola, ¿cómo están todos ustedes?Hello, how are you all doing?
- Buen día, ¿cómo se encuentran todos?Good day, how is everyone doing?
- ¡Hola! ¿Cómo están todos?Hi! How is everyone?
- ¿Epa! ¿Cómo andan todos?Hey! How is everyone doing?
- ¿Qué tal? ¿Cómo les va a todos?What's up? How's everyone doing?
Example conversation
Elena enters a room where Javier and his friends are sitting.
- ElenaHola, ¿cómo están todos?Hello, how are you all?
- JavierEstamos muy bien, gracias, Elena.We are very well, thanks, Elena.
- ElenaMe alegro mucho de verlos.I am very happy to see you all.
- JavierGracias, ¿quieres sentarte con nosotros?Thanks, do you want to sit with us?
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
