Kumusta ka?
/kumusˈta ka/word by word
The English phrase "how are you doing?" is translated into Tagalog as Kumusta ka?
This phrase is a common greeting used to ask someone about their general well-being.
What does it mean word for word?
The word Kumusta is derived from the Spanish ¿Cómo está? and literally functions as a greeting meaning "How is it?" or "How are you?"
Which one should you use?
Kumusta ka? is used when speaking to one person informally, whereas Kumusta po kayo? is used for elders or people in authority. Kumusta na po kayo? specifically translates to "How are you now?" and Kamusta ka na ba? can be translated as "How have you been?"
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the greeting polite or to address more than one person, use po and change ka to kayo, resulting in Kumusta po kayo?
How do you pronounce it?
/kumusˈta ka/
When do people say it?
A common and natural response to Kumusta ka? is Mabuti, which means "Fine" or "Good".
Did you know?
- The root of Kumusta can be traced back to the Latin word quōmodo, which means 'in what manner'.
- While Mabuti is the standard response to Kumusta ka?, Filipinos often answer with Ayos lang, which means 'just okay' or 'fine'.
- Even though Kumusta ka? is the standard greeting, many Filipinos may use the spelling Kamusta ka? in casual text messages or social media, despite the Spanish-derived u being the formal way to spell it.
Examples in context
- Kumusta ka?How are you?
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (kumusta, ka) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ka, kumusta, CC BY-SA 4.0.
