Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| cómo | /ˈkomo/ |
| de qué manera/modo/forma |
cómo is used to express "in what manner". You can also use the phrase de qué manera/modo/forma. Additionally, saying ¿Cómo? is a common way to ask someone to repeat what they just said, similar to saying "Pardon?" or "What?" in English.
Which one should you use?
The stressed form cómo is the interrogative "how", whereas the unstressed form como means "like" or "as". The phrase de qué manera serves as a more formal or explicit alternative when asking about the method or manner of an action.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina and Uruguay, ¿Cómo andas? is an informal way to say "How are you?" In Spain, ¿Cómo te va? is an informal way to say "How are you doing?"
How does it change in a sentence?
The word cómo must take an accent mark when used in a question or an exclamation.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkomo/
Did you know?
- The word cómo is used in the common expression ¿Cómo no?, which literally means 'how not' but is used to mean 'of course' or 'why wouldn't I'.
- In some regional dialects, ¿Cómo? is replaced by ¿Mande? when asking someone to repeat themselves, especially in Mexico, to show a higher level of respect.
- The word cómo is actually a 'shortcut' version of the much longer Latin word quōmodo, which literally meant 'in what manner'.
Examples in context
- Ya sé cómo va.I know how that goes.This sentence is useful for describing how something functions using cómo.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 someone's day.Tatoeba #12881465 by ecorralest101, translation #9131731 by megamanenm
- Estoy bien, gracias.I'm fine, thank you.
- Me encuentro muy bien, gracias.I find myself very well, thank you.
- No me encuentro muy bien.I'm not feeling very well.
- Estoy muy bien, gracias.I'm very well, thank you.
- Nada nuevo, todo bien.Nothing new, everything's good.
- Todo bien, ¿y vos?Everything's good, and you?
- No me va nada mal.I'm not doing too bad.
- 2235 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and María are at a kitchen table looking at a new gadget.
- Mateo¿Cómo se usa esta máquina?How do you use this machine?
- MaríaNo lo sé, Mateo.I don't know, Mateo.
- MateoMira, ¿cómo es que tiene este botón?Look, how is it that it has this button?
- MaríaTal vez debas leer las instrucciones.Maybe you should read the instructions.
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.
