¿cómo estás?
In Spanish, how are you? Is translated as ¿cómo estás?
This phrase is a common greeting used to ask someone about their current health or general well-being. An informal and very common alternative is ¿Qué tal?, which can mean "How's it going?" or "What's up?"
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase breaks down into cómo, which means "how" and estás, which is a conjugated form of the verb estar. This verb is used to express temporary states such as health or mood.
Which one should you use?
The default form ¿cómo estás? uses the tú (informal) conjugation. In contrast, the formal versions use the usted (formal) conjugation, such as ¿cómo está? or ¿cómo está usted?
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain regions of Latin America, you may hear the informal phrase ¿Cómo te va? to mean "How's it going?" or ¿Cómo andas? to mean "How are you getting along?"
How does it change in a sentence?
The formal version ¿cómo está usted? uses the third-person singular form of the verb estar to show respect.
When do people say it?
A common and natural response to these questions is Bien, gracias (Fine, thanks).
Did you know?
- In an extremely casual setting in Mexico, you might hear ¿Qué onda?, which literally means 'What wave?' It is a very common way to ask 'how are you' or 'what's happening'.
- The phrase ¿Cómo andas? literally translates to 'How are you walking?' It uses the verb andar, meaning 'to walk', to metaphorically ask how one is progressing through life.
- The word cómo shares an ancestor with the Latin 'quōmodo', which means 'in what manner'. While English 'how' focuses on state, the root of cómo is deeply tied to the specific way or manner in which something happens.
Examples in context
- Todo bienEverything's good.
- Oye, ¿cómo estás?Hey, how are you?
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier meet at a coffee shop.
- LucíaHola Javier, ¿cómo estás?Hello Javier, how are you?
- JavierMuy bien, Lucía, ¿y tú?Very well, Lucía, and you?
- LucíaEstoy bien, gracias.I am well, thanks.
- JavierMe alegro mucho.I am very happy to hear that.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cómo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
