Ways to say it
| Spanish | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ¿cómo es que | ||
| ¿cómo así | que | /ˈkomo aˈsi/ (word by word) |
| ¿cómo así? ¿y eso? | /ˈkomo aˈsi i ˈeso/ (word by word) |
The phrase is used to ask 'why' or to inquire about the reason for a situation. You can use the full phrase ¿cómo es que to introduce a complete question, or use the much shorter ¿cómo así? and ¿y eso? to express surprise or ask for more information following a statement.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ¿cómo es que literally translates to 'how is it that'.
Which one should you use?
While ¿cómo es que is used to introduce a full question, ¿cómo así? is often used as a standalone reaction to express surprise or to request clarification. The phrase ¿y eso? is also used to express confusion or to ask for the reason behind a sudden change or situation.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
¿Cómo así? is a more colloquial and conversational way to express 'how come' or 'how so?' If you need to be more formal, you can use ¿Cómo es posible que…?, ¿Por qué razón…?, or ¿Por qué motivo…?
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, people often use ¿Cómo puede ser que…? as an alternative to ¿Cómo es posible que…?
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase ¿cómo es que is followed by a standard declarative clause consisting of a subject and a verb, rather than an inverted question structure.
Did you know?
- Using ¿cómo es que instead of ¿por qué often implies that the speaker finds the situation illogical or surprising.
- The phrase ¿cómo así? is particularly common in Colombian and other Latin American dialects to express bewilderment.
- The word es in ¿cómo es que is a cognate of the English word 'is' and the Sanskrit word 'asti'.
Examples in context
- ¿Cómo es que no apareció?How come he didn't show up?This sentence is useful for asking why someone did not show up.Tatoeba #1290449 by Shishir, translation #395264 by FeuDRenais
- ¿Cómo es que te colgó el teléfono?How come she hung up on you?This sentence is useful for asking why someone hung up the phone.Tatoeba #6881637 by diegohn, translation #38618 by Zifre
- ¿Cómo es que no me llamaste anoche?How come you didn't call me last night?This sentence is useful for asking why someone did not call.Tatoeba #7256310 by UsuarioX, translation #38672 by jakov
- ¿Cómo es que no tienes planes para el fin de semana?How come you don't have any plans for the weekend?
- ¿Cómo puede ser que hayas olvidado su cumpleaños?How come you forgot his/her birthday?
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are talking in the kitchen about a canceled plan.
- Sofía¿Cómo es que cancelaron la fiesta?How come they canceled the party?
- JavierNo pudieron venir todos los invitados.Not all the guests could come.
- SofíaEs una lástima, Javier.That's a shame, Javier.
- JavierSí, era un plan muy bueno.Yes, it was a very good plan.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “how come” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (cómo, así, y, eso) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries así, cómo, es, eso, que, y, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
