¿Cómo estás?
informal, tú
The informal way to ask "how are you" in Spanish is ¿Cómo estás? and the formal way is ¿Cómo está usted? The difference is tú for friends and usted for respect. It is also called ¿Qué tal? and ¿Cómo andas?
Meaning: greeting asking about well-being (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| ¿Cómo estás? | informal, tú |
| ¿Qué tal? | casual |
| ¿Cómo está usted? | formal, usted |
| ¿Cómo andas? | casual, Latin America |
Use ¿Cómo estás? with friends, family and children. Use ¿Cómo está? or ¿Cómo está usted? with older people and strangers in formal situations.
Which one should you use?
¿Qué tal? is relaxed and fits both friends and colleagues. The usual answers are Bien, gracias, ¿y usted? in formal speech and Bien, ¿y tú? in informal speech.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina and Uruguay people use vos, but the question stays ¿Cómo estás? there too, since this verb form is shared with tú.
Did you know?
- Spanish has only the formal usted for strangers and the informal tú for friends in most countries, and learners often notice that teachers switch to tú with students.
Examples in context
- Buenos días, señora. ¿Cómo está usted?Good morning, madam. How are you?
- Hola, Pedro. ¿Cómo estás?Hi, Pedro. How are you?
- ¿Qué tal, chicos?How is it going, guys?
Example conversation
Laura greets her teacher and then her classmate in the school corridor.
- LauraBuenos días, profesora. ¿Cómo está?Good morning, professor. How are you?
- ProfesoraMuy bien, Laura. ¿Y tú?Very well, Laura. And you?
- LauraBien, gracias.Fine, thank you.
