Which one should you use?
The phrase ¿cómo están chicos? specifically includes a term for 'guys'. If you want to address a group more generally without using the word 'guys', you can use ¿cómo están todos? to mean "how is everyone doing?" While ¿cómo están chicos? is colloquial, removing 'chicos' to say ¿cómo están ustedes? makes the greeting more neutral.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
¿cómo están chicos? is an informal way to greet a group. For more formal or neutral situations, you might use ¿cómo están ustedes? (how are you all?), ¿cómo se encuentran? (how are you all doing?), ¿cómo les va? (how are things going for you all?) or ¿cómo les ha ido? (how have things been for you all?). Other informal options include ¿cómo andan? (how are you all doing?) and ¿qué cuentan? (what's new?).
Did you know?
- In many parts of Spain, if you use chicos to address a group of adults, it might sound condescending or overly sweet, as the term is often reserved for children or much younger people.
- If you are in Spain and greeting a group of friends, you should swap están for estáis. The second form, ¿cómo estáis chicos?, uses the informal plural conjugation specific to Peninsular Spanish.
- The word cómo is a linguistic survivor that evolved from the Latin word cōmō̆, which was a non-literary and colloquial version of the formal quōmodo.
Examples in context
- Buenos días, ¿cómo se encuentran ustedes? Espero que estén muy bien.Good morning, how are you all doing? I hope you are doing well.
- ¡Hola! ¿Cómo están? ¿Qué tal les va?Hello! How are you all? How's it going for you all?
Example conversation
Mateo arrives at a cafe where Lucia and her friends are sitting.
- Mateo¿Hola! ¿Cómo están chicos?Hi! How are you guys doing?
- LucíaHola Mateo, estamos muy bien.Hi Mateo, we are doing very well.
- Mateo¿Y qué hacen por aquí?And what are you doing around here?
- LucíaEstamos estudiando para el examen.We are studying for the exam.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cómo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
