¿Cómo estás?
The English phrase "how are you?" is translated into Spanish as ¿Cómo estás?
¿Cómo estás? is used to ask how someone is doing. You may also use the casual alternative ¿Qué tal?, which can mean "how's it going?" or "what's up?"
What does it mean word for word?
The word Cómo literally means "how".
Which one should you use?
¿Cómo estás? uses the informal "tú" conjugation and is used with friends, family or people your own age. In contrast, ¿Cómo está usted? is the formal version used when addressing someone with respect or in professional settings.
How does it change in a sentence?
¿Cómo estás? is the singular form. If you are addressing a group of people, you should use the plural form ¿Cómo están?
When do people say it?
A standard, polite response to the question ¿Cómo estás? is Bien, gracias, which means "Fine, thank you."
Did you know?
- In Mexico, you might hear the very informal ¿Qué onda?, which functions like 'how are you?' but literally translates to 'what wave?'
- In some Caribbean countries, you might hear ¿Qué pasó?, which literally means 'what happened?' It is used as a casual version of 'how are you?' or 'what is up?' among friends.
- The word cómo is derived from the Latin cōmō̆, which was a non-literary, colloquial version of the formal word quōmodo.
Examples in context
- Estoy bien, ¿cómo se encuentra usted?I am good, how are you?
- Me encuentro bien, ¿cómo está usted?I am fine, how are you?
- Estoy bien, ¿cómo estás, güey?I am good, how are you, dude?
- Estoy bien, ¿cómo estás, tío?I am good, how are you, mate?
- Oye, ¿cómo estás?Hey, how are you?
Example conversation
Two friends meet in a park.
- MaríaHola Mateo, ¿cómo estás?Hello Mateo, how are you?
- MateoEstoy bien, gracias. ¿Y tú?I am well, thanks. And you?
- MaríaMuy bien, gracias por preguntar.Very well, thanks for asking.
- MateoMe alegro mucho.I am very glad.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cómo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
