Ways to say it
| Tagalog | IPA |
|---|---|
| kumusta? | |
| kumusta ka? | /kumusˈta ka/ (Standard Tagalog, word by word) |
| kumusta ka na? | /kumusˈta ka na/ (Standard Tagalog, word by word) |
| kumusta na? | /kumusˈta na/ (Standard Tagalog, word by word) |
The phrase is used as a greeting. Using just Kumusta? without a pronoun is a common, casual way to greet someone, similar to "How's it going?"
What does it mean word for word?
The word kumusta is derived from the Spanish cómo está and functions as "how".
Which one should you use?
Kumusta ka? is a direct inquiry about a person's state, while kumusta na? acts more like a general "How's it going?" or "How have you been?" The form kumusta ka na? includes the particle na, which implies a sense of "now" or "already", often used when you have not seen someone in a little while.
How does it change in a sentence?
To be polite or to address more than one person, replace the pronoun ka with kayo, resulting in kumusta kayo?
When do people say it?
When someone asks Kumusta ka?, a common and standard response is Mabuti (Fine/Good).
Did you know?
- The root of kumusta can be traced back through Spanish and Latin to the Proto-Indo-European root *kʷos, which is the ancient ancestor of the English word 'who'.
- In the Philippines, kumusta is often used not just as a question, but as a way to initiate a 'kamustahan', a cultural practice of catching up and bonding with friends and family.
- Depending on the social context, a person might respond to kumusta ka? with a smile or a nod instead of the word mabuti, as non-verbal cues are highly significant in Filipino culture.
Examples in context
- "Kumusta ka?" – "Mabuti naman!""How are you?" "Fine, thank you."This example shows a common exchange of greeting and response using kumusta ka?Tatoeba #2289513 by Adelpa, translation #2289584 by Adelpa
- Kumusta ka? Nagkaroon ka ba ng isang maligayang paglalakbay?How are you? Did you have a good trip?This example demonstrates using kumusta ka? to ask about someone's well-being following a specific event.Tatoeba #2456883 by ovillevincent, translation #1716 by CK
- Kumusta po kayo, Ginoong Perez?How are you, Mr. Perez?
- Kamusta na po kayo, Ma'am?How have you been, Ma'am?
- Kamusta ka, pare?How are you, buddy?
- Musta ka na, tol?How have you been, bro?
- Kumusta?How are you?
Example conversation
Mark and Christina meet at a cafe.
- MarkChristina, kumusta?Christina, how are you?
- ChristinaMabuti naman, Mark. Ikaw?I'm doing well, Mark. How about you?
- MarkAyos lang din ako.I'm doing okay too.
- ChristinaButi naman at okay ka.It's good that you're okay.
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 (kumusta, ka, na) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ka, kumusta, na, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
