qué tal
/ˌke ˈtal/
The English phrase "what it do" can be translated into Spanish as qué tal.
qué tal is an informal greeting used to ask someone how they are doing, similar to saying "How's it going?" or "How are you?"
Which one should you use?
you might also use ¿Cómo estás? to ask how someone is doing in informal settings. In formal situations, you should use ¿Cómo se encuentra? instead.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌke ˈtal/
When do people say it?
When someone greets you with qué tal, a common way to respond is bien, ¿y tú? which means "good and you?"
Did you know?
- The word qué descends from the Latin word quid, which is the same root used in the English legal term 'quid pro quo'.
- While qué tal is a greeting, it can also be used to ask for an opinion about something, effectively meaning 'how was it' or 'how did it go'.
- While qué tal is often used as a greeting, the word tal can also be used to mean 'such' or 'so' in a completely different context, like saying 'such a beautiful day'.
Examples in context
- ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal?Hi! How's it going?
- Buenos días. ¿Cómo está?Good morning. How are you?
- ¡Hola! ¿Cómo se encuentra usted?Hello! How are you?
- Hola, ¿qué tal?Hi, how's it going?
- ¿Qué tal todo por aquí?How is everything going around here?
- Oye, ¿qué tal tu día?Hey, how is your day going?
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía run into each other at a cafe.
- Daniel¡Hola, Sofía! ¿Qué tal?Hi, Sofía! What's up?
- SofíaMuy bien, ¿y tú?Very well, and you?
- DanielTodo bien también.Everything is good too.
- SofíaQué bueno escuchar eso.That is good to hear.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry qué tal, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries qué, tal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
