¿cómo está?
usted
The English phrase "how are you" can be translated into Spanish as ¿cómo está? (usted) or ¿qué tal?
Meaning: greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¿cómo está? | usted | ||
| ¿qué tal? | /ˈke ˈtal/ (word by word) | colloquial |
These phrases are used to ask about someone's well-being or as a general greeting. ¿qué tal? can function as a genuine question about how someone is doing or as a casual greeting similar to "what's up?"
Which one should you use?
¿cómo está? is the formal version used with people you do not know well or to show respect. ¿qué tal? is a more casual, colloquial way to say "how are you?" compared to the formal ¿cómo está?
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
¿cómo está? is formal, while ¿qué tal? is colloquial.
How does it change in a sentence?
The informal version of the formal ¿cómo está? is ¿cómo estás?
How do you pronounce it?
usted
When do people say it?
A common and natural response to any form of "how are you" is Bien, gracias.
Did you know?
- The word cómo comes from cōmō̆, which was a non-literary or colloquial version of the formal Latin word quōmodo.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, answering ¿cómo estás? with a detailed list of your problems is often seen as a social error. The question is frequently used as a polite filler rather than an invitation to share your medical or emotional history.
- While ¿cómo estás? is the standard informal greeting, in some Caribbean countries, people may use it more frequently in situations where a Peninsular Spanish speaker would use the formal ¿cómo está?
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 shows a typical exchange using ¿qué tal?Tatoeba #2384863 by Shishir, translation #884471 by CK
- ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal?Hi! How are you?This is a simple way to use ¿qué tal? as a greeting.Tatoeba #535236 by Shishir, translation #30316 by Zifre
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía meets her boss, Javier, in the hallway.
- SofíaBuenos días, señor. ¿Cómo está?Good morning, sir. How are you?
- JavierMuy bien, gracias. ¿Y usted?Very well, thank you. And you?
- SofíaTodo bien, gracias por preguntar.Everything is fine, thanks for asking.
- JavierMe alegro mucho, Sofía.I am very glad, Sofía.
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.
