cómo está
/komo esta/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase cómo está means "how is" when used to ask about a person's health or current state.
cómo está is a question used to inquire about the well-being, health or temporary state of a person.
Which one should you use?
Use cómo está to ask about health or temporary states, but use cómo es to ask about a person's permanent characteristics or personality.
Did you know?
- In Mexico, people often use the slang ¿qué onda? instead of cómo está to ask how someone is doing among friends.
- The word cómo is inherited from the Latin cōmō̆, which was a non-literary version of the word quōmodo.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, asking cómo está is a social formality rather than a literal medical inquiry, and a short 'fine' is expected regardless of actual health.
Examples in context
- ¿Cómo está tu hija?How is your daughter?This sentence is useful for asking about the well-being of a daughter.Tatoeba #3191723 by cueyayotl, translation #3163796 by CK
- ¿Cómo está tu madre?How is your mother?This sentence is useful for asking about the well-being of a mother.Tatoeba #1238869 by Shishir, translation #70949 by CK
- ¿Cómo está tu salud?How is your health?This sentence is useful for asking about the state of someone's health.Tatoeba #1458086 by marcelostockle, translation #6488913 by spudrucket
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends meeting at a cafe.
- Mateo¿Cómo está tu hermano, Lucía?How is your brother, Lucía?
- LucíaÉl está muy bien, gracias.He is very well, thanks.
- MateoMe alegro mucho por él.I am very happy for him.
- Lucía¿Y cómo está tu padre?And how is your father?
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cómo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
