Which one should you use?
If you are addressing a group consisting only of women, you would use the feminine form ¿cómo están todas? instead.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase ¿cómo están todos? is considered formal/neutral. For a more formal way to ask "How is everyone doing?", you can use ¿Cómo se encuentran todos? For an informal approach, use ¿Qué tal todos? or a colloquial version like ¿Cómo les va a todos?
Is it said differently in some regions?
Using the están conjugation is the standard way to address a group in Latin America, regardless of formality. In Spain, when speaking informally to a group of friends or peers, you would use the vosotros form: ¿cómo estáis todos? Additionally, in certain Latin American countries, ¿Qué cuentan? can be used as a casual way to ask "How is everyone?"
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb están is the third-person plural form of estar, which is used to express states or conditions like well-being.
Did you know?
- While ¿cómo están todos? asks about a state, the colloquial alternative ¿qué cuentan? literally means 'what are you all counting' or 'what are you telling'.
- Depending on the country, the response to ¿cómo están todos? might be accompanied by a single kiss on the cheek or a handshake for every person in the group.
- The word cómo is derived from the Latin cōmō̆, which was a non-literary or colloquial version of the formal word quōmodo.
Examples in context
- Llego tarde, ¿cómo están todos?I'm late, how is everyone?
Example conversation
Lucía arrives at a family dinner hosted by Javier.
- LucíaHola Javier, ¿cómo están todos?Hello Javier, how is everyone?
- JavierHola Lucía, todos están muy bien.Hello Lucía, everyone is doing very well.
- LucíaMe alegra mucho escucharlo.I am very happy to hear that.
- JavierPasa, por favor, siéntate con nosotros.Come in, please, sit with us.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cómo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
