come sei stato
/ˈko.me ˈsɛj ˈsta.to/word by word
The Italian phrase for "how have you been" is come sei stato.
This phrase is a greeting used to ask someone about their life and well-being since the last time you saw them.
Which one should you use?
While come sei stato specifically asks about the period since you last met, come stai is a general "how are you" used in the present moment.
How does it change in a sentence?
Use come siete stati when asking a group of people how they have been.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈko.me ˈsɛj ˈsta.to/. It has 5 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- In many parts of Italy, rather than using this formal question, people might simply use che si dice? which translates to 'what is being said?' to mean 'how have you been?'
- While come sei stato asks about your well-being, the word stato is also the Italian word for 'state' or 'nation'.
- If the person you are asking is female, the phrase must change to come sei stata to agree with her gender.
Example conversation
Alessandro and Martina meet for coffee after several months.
- AlessandroCiao Martina! Come sei stato?Hi Martina! How have you been?
- MartinaTutto bene, grazie. E tu?Everything is fine, thanks. And you?
- AlessandroNon c'è male, sono molto occupato.Not bad, I am very busy.
- MartinaCapisco, è un periodo intenso.I understand, it's an intense period.
