cómo
/ˈkomo/
The English word "how" is translated into Spanish as cómo. Wiktionary also lists de qué manera/modo/forma.
Meaning: in what manner (adv)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| cómo | /ˈkomo/ |
| de qué manera/modo/forma |
cómo is used to ask about the manner or way in which something is done. You may also use the phrase ¿Cómo? on its own as an informal way to ask someone to repeat themselves, similar to saying "What?" or "Pardon?" in English.
Which one should you use?
While cómo is the standard way to ask "how", the phrase de qué manera/modo/forma can be used to specifically ask "in what way" or "in what manner". Additionally, do not confuse the interrogative cómo with the unaccented como, which is used for comparisons (meaning "as" or "like") or to mean "I eat".
How does it change in a sentence?
The word cómo must always take an accent mark when it is used in a question or an exclamation.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkomo/
Did you know?
- In certain contexts, the phrase ¿Cómo no? does not actually ask 'how not', but is used as a common way to say 'of course' or 'why wouldn't I'.
- The word cómo is a descendant of cōmō̆, which was a non-literary or colloquial version of the formal Latin word quōmodo.
- The phrase ¿Cómo que…? is used to express disbelief or to ask for clarification of a surprising statement, meaning 'What do you mean that…'.
Examples in context
- Ya sé cómo va.I know how that goes.This sentence shows how to use cómo to describe a process.Tatoeba #4554846 by swyter, translation #2375928 by CK
- ¿Cómo vas a ir?How are you going?This sentence uses cómo to ask about a method of travel.Tatoeba #6601697 by arh, translation #1417902 by tien_oroniel
- ¿Cómo va tu día?How is your day going?This sentence uses cómo to ask about the state of an event.Tatoeba #12881465 by ecorralest101, translation #9131731 by megamanenm
- ¿Cómo estás hoy?How are you doing today?
- ¿Cómo están tus padres?How are your parents?
- 2235 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are discussing how to finish a project.
- Alejandro¿Cómo podemos terminar esto?How can we finish this?
- MaríaNo sé cómo hacerlo sola.I don't know how to do it alone.
- AlejandroDime cómo te puedo ayudar.Tell me how I can help you.
- MaríaGracias, veamos cómo empezamos.Thanks, let's see how we start.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “how” translations and entries cómo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cómo, de, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
