¿cómo has estado?
In Spanish, "how have you been?" is translated as ¿cómo has estado?
This phrase is a greeting used to ask someone about their life and how they have been during the period of time since the last time you saw them.
Which one should you use?
While ¿cómo has estado? asks about the period of time since your last meeting, the phrase ¿cómo estás? is used to ask how someone is right at this moment. Additionally, if you want to ask a group of people how they have been, you should use the plural form ¿cómo han estado?
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the present perfect tense, which is formed using the auxiliary verb haber (has) and the past participle of estar (estado).
When do people say it?
When someone asks you this, common ways to respond include Bien, ¿y tú? (Fine and you?) or Muy bien, gracias (Very well, thank you).
Did you know?
- In some historical contexts, the word estado was used as a unit of measurement approximating the height of a grown man.
- Depending on the country, using ¿cómo has estado? with a stranger can feel overly intimate because it implies a prior relationship.
- The auxiliary verb haber used in has is one of the most versatile words in Spanish and can also be used to express existence, like 'there is' or 'there are'.
Examples in context
- Hola, ¿cómo has estado?Hi, how have you been?
Example conversation
Two friends run into each other at a coffee shop.
- Lucía¡Hola, Javier! ¿Cómo has estado?Hi, Javier! How have you been?
- JavierHola, Lucía. Muy bien, ¿y tú?Hi, Lucía. Very well, and you?
- LucíaTodo bien por aquí.Everything is good over here.
- JavierMe alegra mucho escucharlo.I am very happy to hear that.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cómo, estado, CC BY-SA 4.0.
