Ways to say it
| Spanish | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¿cómo está? | usted | ||
| ¿qué tal? | /ˈke ˈtal/ (word by word) | colloquial |
These phrases are used as greetings to ask about a person's well-being. While ¿cómo está? is a direct way to ask how someone is, ¿qué tal? is more casual and often functions like the English 'How's it going?' Additionally, ¿qué tal? can be used as a standalone greeting that does not necessarily require a direct answer about one's health or state.
Which one should you use?
¿cómo está? is the formal version used with elders or people in positions of authority. In contrast, ¿qué tal? is more colloquial and casual.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
¿cómo está? is the formal option. ¿qué tal? is tagged as colloquial, making it suitable for casual social settings.
How do you pronounce it?
usted
When do people say it?
When someone asks you how you are, a standard and polite response is Bien, gracias.
Did you know?
- The phrase ¿qué tal? can be used to ask 'how about…' for things other than people, such as '¿qué tal una cerveza?' meaning 'how about a beer?'
- In some Latin American countries, people may respond to ¿cómo está? with ahí vamos, which literally means 'there we go' but implies 'I am getting by'.
- The word cómo comes from the Latin cōmō̆, which was a non-literary, colloquial version of the formal Latin word quōmodo.
Examples in context
- Hola, Susan. ¿Qué tal?Hi, Susan. How are you?This sentence shows how to use ¿qué tal? in a greeting.Tatoeba #10151681 by saverius, translation #54605 by CN
- «¿Qué tal?» «No me puedo quejar.»"How are you?" "I can't complain."This example demonstrates a typical exchange using ¿qué tal? and a response.Tatoeba #2384863 by Shishir, translation #884471 by CK
- ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal?Hi! How are you?This is a simple use of ¿qué tal? as a greeting.Tatoeba #535236 by Shishir, translation #30316 by Zifre
- ¿Cómo está usted, señor García?How are you, Mr. García?
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía meet at a professional conference.
- JavierHola, Lucía. ¿Cómo está?Hello, Lucía. How are you?
- LucíaMuy bien, gracias. ¿Y usted?Very well, thank you. And you?
- JavierTodo bien, gracias por preguntar.Everything is good, thanks for asking.
- LucíaMe alegro mucho.I am very glad.
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.
