Download Article
Download Article
- Printable Cheat Sheet
- «How Are You?»
- Similar Questions
- Responses
- Video
- Q&A
|
|
|
|
|
You may already know to say hola to greet someone in Spanish. Typically, after that greeting, you would ask «How are you?» The most common way of asking «How are you?» in Spanish is “¿Cómo estás?” (koh-moh ehs-tahs). However, there are several other ways you can ask a similar question to find out how someone is doing. Beyond that, there are many ways to respond when someone asks you this question.
Printable Cheat Sheet
-
1
Say “¿Cómo estás?” (koh-moh ehs-tahs) in most situations. «¿Cómo estás?» is the most basic way to say «How are you?» This phrase is appropriate in almost any context when talking to almost any person, whether you previously knew them or not. However, there is a more formal version, used particularly in Central American countries.[1]
- Note that there are two verbs in Spanish that mean «to be:» estar and ser. However, estar is used in this context because it implies a more temporary state, whereas ser is used to talk about a permanent condition or state of being.
- Because verbs are conjugated to agree with the pronoun, you can leave off the pronoun and the sentence will still mean the same thing. The pronoun is inferred by the conjugation of the verb.
-
2
Use «¿Cómo está usted?» (koh-moh ehs-tah oos-tehd) when you need to be more polite. There really isn’t a formal way to say «How are you?» in Spanish. However, «¿Cómo está usted?» is used, primarily in Central America, when talking to someone who is older than you or in a position of authority.[2]
- It also doesn’t hurt to use this phrase when talking to an adult you’ve never met before, as it conveys respect.
- You can drop the pronoun usted and simply ask «¿Cómo está?» It means the same thing and will convey the same level of respect.
Advertisement
-
3
Ask «¿Cómo están?» (koh-moh ehs-tahn) if you’re greeting multiple people. If you walk up to a group of people and want to greet all of them, you might ask «¿Cómo están?» The verb is conjugated for the plural «you,» so this is similar to saying «How are y’all doing?» or «How are you guys doing?» in English.[3]
- To make this question informal, ask «¿Cómo estais?» (koh-moh ehs-tah-iss)
- Keep in mind that in some Spanish speaking cultures, it might be considered more polite to ask this question of each person in the group individually, rather than addressing the group as a whole.
Advertisement
-
1
Try alternatives to «¿Cómo estás?» in informal settings. Just as in English and other languages, there are informal ways to say «How are you» in Spanish. These alternatives could be roughly translated as the equivalent to saying «what’s happening» or «what’s up» in English. They’re appropriate in casual social situations or when talking to people around your own age who you know fairly well, so you should only use them in relatively informal situations with people you know or people who are your age or younger. Some alternatives are:[4]
- «¿Qué pasa?» (keh pah-sah)
- «¿Cómo va?» (koh-moh vah)
- «¿Qué tal?» (keh tahl)
- «¿Qué haces?» (keh ahs-ehs)
-
2
Experiment with regional slang in casual contexts. Different Spanish-speaking countries also have different phrases that serve as alternatives to «¿Cómo estás?» Regional or local slang can make your Spanish seem more natural. Since they’re slang, they’re typically only appropriate in social settings when greeting people around your own age. Some examples are:[5]
- «¿Qué onda?» (keh ohn-dah): Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile
- «¿Cómo andas?» (koh-moh ahn-dahs): Argentina, Spain
- «¿Qué hubo?» (keh ooh-boh): Mexico, Chile, Colombia
- «¿Pura vida?» (poo-rah vee-dah): Costa Rica
-
3
Use «¿Cómo te sientes?» (koh-moh tay see-ehn-tay) to ask someone how they feel. With «¿Cómo te sientes?» you’re literally asking someone how they are feeling. This question is typically more appropriate if you know someone hasn’t been feeling well lately. Generally, it’s not used as a direct alternative to «¿Cómo estás?»
- If you’re not familiar with the person, you might instead ask «¿Cómo se siente?» (koh-moh say see-ehn-tay) It’s the same question, but using a more formal pronoun.
Advertisement
-
1
Say «bien» (bee-ehn) in most situations. English-speakers typically don’t take «How are you?» literally, and neither do Spanish speakers in most situations. Just as you would respond to the question with «fine» or «good» in English, in Spanish you would most often answer «bien (bee-ehn).[6]
- After you say «bien» (bee-ehn), always follow up with «gracias,» (grah-see-ahs), which means thank you.
- Even if you’re feeling absolutely terrible, it’s not really considered appropriate to come right out and say it. You might try «Bien…¿o te cuento?» (bee-ehn oh tay coo-ehn-toh) which means «Good… or shall I really tell you about it?»
-
2
Switch to «más o menos» (mahs oh meh-nohs) if you don’t feel quite as enthusiastic. If you’re having a rough day and don’t feel so «bien,» but don’t want to say so (which would be awkward), you can use «más o menos» (mahs oh meh-nohs), which means «so-so.» The English equivalent would be responding «I’m alright» or «I’m okay.»[7]
- You can also say «así así (ah-see ah see) which means basically the same thing.
-
3
Follow up with «¿Y tú?» to turn the question around to the other person. If you weren’t the first person to ask, it’s polite to ask «¿Y tú?» after responding to the other person’s question. This literally means «And you?»[8]
- The flow of conversation is similar to what you would have in English. Someone says «hello» and asks how you’re doing. You would likely respond «Fine, and you?» Follow the same social cues in Spanish as well.
-
4
Explain how you feel with the phrase «me siento» (may see-ehn-toh). This is the appropriate way to respond if someone asks you «¿Cómo te sientes?» Usually, if someone asks you this question, they know that you’ve not been feeling well lately, and they want to know if you’re feeling any better. This person will usually be a friend or close acquaintance.[9]
- If you’re feeling a little better, you might reply «Me siento un poco mejor» (may see-ehn-toh oohn poh-coh meh-hohr).
- You could also add a description for how you feel, particularly if you’re not feeling any better. For example, you might say «Me siento mareado,» or «I feel queasy.»
Advertisement
Add New Question
-
Question
How do I say, «How are you, love? I miss you. I want to be with you.»
¿Cómo estás, mi amor? Te extraño, quiero estar contigo.
-
Question
How do I say «Hello, how are you? My name is Cathy and I’ll be your waitress today» in Spanish?
In Spanish you would say: «Hola, ¿cómo estás? Mi nombre es Cathy y seré su mesera hoy».
-
Question
How do I say, «I’m fine, and you?» in Spanish?
Estoy bien. ¿Y usted?
See more answers
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
Advertisement
Video
Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
References
About This Article
Article SummaryX
To say “How are you?” in Spanish, start with the most basic phrase «¿Cómo está usted?” which is pronounced “koh-moh ehs-tah oos-tehd.” If you’re asking a friend, you can just say ¿Cómo estás?” You can also ask how someone is with other phrases, like «¿Cómo te va?» which translates to either “How are you doing?” or “How’s it going?” and is pronounced koh-moh tay vah. Alternatively, say «¿Cómo andas?» which is pronounced “koh-moh ahn-dahs, and is used less frequently but means the same thing. To learn how to respond when someone asks you how you are in Spanish, keep reading!
Did this summary help you?
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 739,282 times.
Reader Success Stories
-
Joharie Johnson
Sep 30, 2016
«I am learning how to speak Spanish and it makes me feel very happy to know another language. I like the way it…» more
Did this article help you?
By
Last updated:
March 23, 2022
The Spanish “How Are You?” and 8 More Ways to Say It
“Hey, what’s up?”
“How’s it going?”
“How have you been?”
In our everyday encounters with other people, we use these phrases over and over.
In this post, you’ll learn eight other ways to say “How are you?” in Spanish that are a little more exciting.
I’ll even provide some appropriate responses.
Contents
- The Basic Greeting: ¿Cómo Estás?
- Why You Should Go Beyond the Basics with “How Are You?”
- “How Are You?” in Spanish: 8 Ways to Change Up This Greeting
-
- ¿Cómo andas (tú)?
- ¿Qué me cuentas?
- ¿Cómo te va?
- ¿Cómo va todo?
- ¿Cómo van las cosas?
- ¿Qué tal?
- ¿Qué hay?
- ¿Qué pasa?
Download:
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)
The Basic Greeting: ¿Cómo Estás?
You have to learn the basics before you can move past them, of course.
The most basic greeting that you would use to ask “How are you?” to one person, in an informal setting, is:
¿Cómo estás? (How are you?)
A slight variation on this greeting is ¿Cómo estás tú? This means exactly the same thing, but includes the optional pronoun tú (you).
In Spanish, the way you conjugate a verb changes depending on how many people you’re addressing, and on whether you’re in a formal or informal situation. In this case, the important verb is estar (to be).
(If you’re unclear on verb conjugation, check out this basic guide to conjugating the Spanish present tense.)
So, depending on who you’re speaking to, you may have to slightly adjust your conjugation. For each of the examples below, I’ll provide the appropriate pronoun in parentheses. Just like tú in the example above, these pronouns are optional and do not affect the meaning of the sentence.
¿Cómo está (usted)?
The pronoun usted refers to a singular “you” in a formal situation. Use this greeting when talking to a stranger, someone much older than you or someone in a position of superiority. For example, you might use ¿Cómo está? when greeting your friend’s grandfather, your boss, your professor, the queen of Spain and so on.
¿Cómo están (ustedes)?
Ustedes refers to a plural “you.” Use it when greeting two or more people at the same time.
Across Latin America, ustedes can be used in formal or informal situations. In Spain, it’s used exclusively in formal situations (like usted).
¿Cómo estáis (vosotros)?
If you happen to be speaking Spanish in Spain, use vosotros when talking to a group of people in an informal situation, such as when you’re speaking to a group of friends.
There are many ways to respond to the greeting “How are you?”
In Spanish, a safe response is:
Bien, gracias. ¿Y tú? (Fine, thanks. And you?)
This is a polite and simple way to keep the conversation going.
Of course, if you’re in a formal situation or talking to more than one person, you’ll want to substitute tú for usted, ustedes or vosotros where appropriate.
Why You Should Go Beyond the Basics with “How Are You?”
Sure, the above will get you through basic Spanish conversations. But why stop there? There are tons of ways to greet and be greeted in Spanish—it’s a good idea to know more than one.
Learning alternate greetings can allow you to vary your tone to suit more formal or casual situations. You wouldn’t greet your best friend the same way you would greet a client, right? It’s the same in Spanish—different greetings sound more natural in different company.
Plus, varying your speech patterns helps you sound more like a native speaker. I’ll bet when you talk in English, you don’t constantly repeat the phrase “How are you?” You probably change it up with phrases like “How’s it going?” or “What’s going on?” Moving beyond “How are you?” means moving beyond classroom Spanish and learning real-world Spanish.
Not to mention, learning slangy alternatives to common phrases can be a lot of fun. If you’re ever unsure about a slang term, language learner forums like the ones at WordReference can be great resources. You can also check out the meaning of slang words with the contextual dictionary on FluentU. Once you find the meaning of a new word, you can create a flashcard of it and see how it’s used by native speakers in the authentic Spanish videos of the program’s library.
Finally, it’s good to expand your vocabulary because—duh!—native speakers will use these phrases when they talk to you! When they do, you’ll want to understand and be able to respond.
For each of these greetings, I’ll let you know how to politely respond. You can, of course, also respond to any of these greetings by letting your conversation partner know how you’re actually doing.
But when you’re talking with strangers or acquaintances, it’s good to know how to give a noncommittal response like “It’s all good” or “Oh, nothing much.”
Unclear on how to pronounce any of the words in this post? Forvo is a great resource with crowd-sourced pronunciations provided by native speakers.
¿Cómo andas (tú)?
The verb andar means “to walk” or “to go,” so this greeting is similar to the English “How’s it going?” It’s slightly more casual and slangy than the basic ¿Cómo estás?
Andar is a regular -ar verb, so its other conjugations are:
¿Cómo anda (usted)?
¿Cómo andan (ustedes)?
¿Cómo andáis (vosotros)?
You can respond to this in the same way you would respond to ¿Cómo estás? An answer like Bien (good), Bastante bien (pretty good) or Muy bien (very good) is appropriate.
¿Qué me cuentas?
This greeting is quite slangy. It literally translates to “What do you tell me?” Think of it as a Spanish equivalent to the English “What’s going on?”
It would be a little awkward to use this greeting in the usted form since it’s so informal—but here are all of the conjugations just in case.
For usted: ¿Qué me cuenta?
For ustedes: ¿Qué me cuentan?
For vosotros: ¿Qué me contáis?
Note here that contar is a stem-changing verb!
If someone asked you “What’s going on?” in English, you might respond with “Oh, not much.” It’s similar in Spanish. If someone asks you ¿Qué me cuentas? you might respond with something like:
Nada. (Nothing.)
Nada en especial. (Nothing special.)
Lo normal. (The usual.)
No mucho. (Not much.)
It would sound a little strange to respond with something like Bien, gracias. This might be tricky to keep track of, but if you practice enough, you’ll unconsciously start to realize what response sounds right and what sounds awkward.
¿Cómo te va?
This greeting translates to something like “How’s it going?” It can be used in formal or informal situations. In this case, to change the greeting you’ll have to change the indirect object pronoun from te to le, les or os.
For usted: ¿Cómo le va?
For ustedes: ¿Cómo les va?
For vosotros: ¿Cómo os va?
When responding to this, you can re-use the verb va (it goes), from the infinitive ir (to go).
Me va bien. (It’s going well.)
Me va mal. (It’s going badly.)
You can replace bien or mal with any other appropriate adjective you can think of. Some examples are espectacular (spectacular), genial (great), normal (normal), regular (just okay) or terrible (terrible).
¿Cómo va todo?
Very similar to the last one, this phrase translates to “How’s everything going?”
Luckily, in this case there are no verbs to conjugate and no indirect objects to change around—you can use this same greeting regardless of what situation you’re in.
To respond, you can say Va todo ___, filling in whatever adjective suits your mood. (See above for examples.)
¿Cómo van las cosas?
This greeting means “How are things?” Like the previous case, there is no need for conjugation here, since the verb van (they go) refers to the noun las cosas (the things).
If somebody asks you this, you can respond with a simple Bien (good) or Mal (bad), or you can make a full sentence such as:
Las cosas van bien. (Things are going well.)
¿Qué tal?
This is an informal greeting to be used among friends in a casual setting. It is similar to the English “What’s up?”
However, unlike the English “What’s up?” you should not respond to ¿Qué tal? with “Nothing much” or any variant thereof. Instead, respond with an adjective—bien, mal, regular, genial, terrible, etc.—like you would respond to ¿Cómo estás?
¿Qué hay?
This super informal greeting literally translates to “What is there?” and should only be used in very casual, friendly situations. You can think of it as a shortening of ¿Qué hay de nuevo? (What’s new?). Again, no conjugations to worry about here.
A good, appropriately casual response to this greeting would be something like Todo bien (all good) or No me quejo (can’t complain).
¿Qué pasa?
This Spanish greeting has crossed over into English-language slang, so you may already be familiar with it! It’s another super colloquial way to ask “What’s up?” or “What’s going on?”
A normal response would be some variant of Nada or Lo normal. See the section on ¿Qué me cuentas? for some examples of good responses.
The next time you have to greet someone in Spanish, move out of your comfort zone!
You wouldn’t just repeat “How are you?” over and over again in your native language, and there’s no reason to do so in Spanish.
Native speakers will pick up on your varied vocabulary, and it’ll make you sound much more natural.
Download:
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Get our free email course, Shortcut to Conversational.
Have conversations faster, understand people when they speak fast, and other tested tips to learn faster.
More info
As a beginner student, one of the first phrases you’ll want to learn is “how are you?” in Spanish.
Just like any other language, it’s the most natural way to strike up a conversation and in Spanish, there are several ways to pose this question, depending on whether you’re speaking with friends, or in a more formal setting.
In this post, we’ll show you 10 different ways that you can say how are you in Spanish. We’ll introduce you the first five in this video. Scroll down to #6 for the video with the other five. Once you’ve seen all ten we have a final quiz video so you can practice what you’ve learned, which also includes some of the most common compliments in Spanish.
Now let’s dive in!
1) ¿Cómo estás? – ¿Cómo están? – ¿Cómo está?
This is the most basic and neutral greeting in Spanish, translating directly as “how are you” in English.
Keep in mind, the conjugation of estar will depend on whether you’re speaking with a friend (¿cómo estás?), or a group of people (¿cómo están?), or even asking how a third person is (¿cómo está tu primo? – how is your cousin?)
- Ernesto: How is your family, Veronica? – ¿Cómo está tu familia, Verónica?
- Veronica: My family is doing well, thanks. And yours? – Mi familia está bien, gracias. ¿Y la tuya?
2) ¿Qué tal?
¿Qué tal? is common and popular way to informally greet someone, and uniquely enough, a response is not always needed. It’s commonly used among neighbours, or as a greeting between acquaintances who you bump into. The best English equivalent is the informal phrase, “what’s up?“
- Pedro: Hey, Raúl!, what’s up? – ¡Hola, Raúl, ¿qué tal?
- Raúl: Everything is okay! – ¡Todo bien, Pedro!
For a deeper explanation on qué tal, as well as a comparison between these two most-common greetings in Spanish, check out our dedicated post on qué tal vs cómo estás.
3) ¿Cómo has estado? – ¿Cómo ha estado?
Another practical greeting that is pretty simple and direct – it can be used in both formal or informal scenarios. It’s especially common when you haven’t seen a person for a long time, and you want to catch up with them. It can be translated as: “How have you been?”
- Mary: It has been a while since our last reunion, Nancy. How have you been? – Ha pasado tanto tiempo desde nuestra última reunión, Nancy. ¿Cómo has estado?
- Nancy: Well, I’ve been really busy lately – Pues, últimamente he estado muy ocupada.
4) ¿Cómo va todo? – ¿Cómo van las cosas?
¿Cómo van las cosas? in English translates as “how are things going?,” while ¿cómo va todo? in English is simply “how’s everything going?“
These expressions usually elicit an answer, since you’re showing interest in the person’s life, whether asking about their family, job, or just being generic. Either can also be preceded with ¿Qué tal?
- Patricia: Hi, David! How are things going? – ¡Hola, David! ¿Cómo van las cosas?
- David: Everything is going well, Patricia. I got a new job in a shoe store – Todo va bien, Patricia. Conseguí un trabajo nuevo en una zapatería.
5) ¿Qué (me) cuentas?
¿Qué me cuentas? is a casual and very colloquial expression. It can be translated directly as “what do you tell me?,” but a better equivalent in English is “What’s going on?” It’s considered more like slang, and so it’s not something to be used in a formal scenario.
As in English, you can reply to this question with: Nada nuevo (nothing new), nada en especial (nothing special), lo normal (the usual), or no mucho (not much).
- Vanessa: Hi, Rafael! We haven’t seen each other for a year, what ‘s going on? – ¡Hola, Rafael! No nos hemos visto en un año, ¿qué cuentas?
- Rafael: Not much. I am still living in the same place and working in the same office – No mucho. Sigo viviendo en el mismo lugar y trabajando en la misma oficina.
Ok now with those first five done, are you ready for the video of the next five?
6) ¿Qué es de tu vida? – ¿Cómo te trata la vida?
This greeting comes really handy when you haven’t seen a friend for ages, and you meet them again. You want to know what things are new in their life since the last time you met.
¿Cómo es de tu vida? is similar to saying “how has your life been?” in English, whereas ¿Cómo te trata la vida? translates directly as “how’s life treating you?“
- Maritza: Hey there, Valeria! Long time no see. What are you up to? – ¡Hola, Valeria! Cuánto tiempo sin verte. ¿Qué es de tu vida?
- Valeria: Well, everything is going well. I got married last year and moved to Quito. – Pues, todo va bien. Me casé el año pasado y me mudé a Quito.
7) ¿Cómo te va? – ¿Cómo le va?
¿Cómo te va? can be used in both formal and informal settings, depending on which pronoun we use. Its direct English counterpart is “How are you doing?”
We use this expression with the indirect object pronouns: me, te, le, les, or os. For example: ¿Cómo les va? / Nos va bien – How are you doing? / We‘re doing well.
- Betty: Hi, Marcos! How are you doing in Canada? – ¡Hola, Marcos! ¿Cómo te va en Canadá?
- Marcos: I’m doing great. I’m studying French and English – Me va buenísimo. Estoy estudiando francés e inglés.
¿Qué hay (de nuevo)?
¿Qué hay (de nuevo)?¿Qué hay de nuevo? is a colloquial and informal expression, widely used in a professional or work environment between colleagues. In short, it just means “what’s new?” It became very popular for being used by Bugs Bunny with his iconic phrase “¿Qué hay de nuevo, viejo?,” or in the English version of the cartoon “what’s up, doc?“
- Teacher: So, what ‘s new? How was your holiday? – Entonces, ¿qué hay de nuevo? ¿Cómo estuvieron tus vacaciones?
- Student: It was ok. My family and I went camping – Estuvieron bien. Mi familia y yo fuimos a acampar.
9) ¿Cómo andas? – ¿Cómo anda?
Meaning essentially “how’s it going?,” this expression is very similar to “¿cómo va todo?,” but more informal. When you ask someone ¿cómo andas?, most people will probably respond with: “Bueno, ahí vamos” (“well, so far so good”) or “No me quejo” / “No me puedo quejar” (“I can’t complain”). It’s a common expression used both among Spaniards and South Americans.
- Miguel: Hi there, Daniel! How are you doing? – ¡Épale, Daniel! ¿Cómo andas?
- Daniel: Well, I can not complain, Miguel. What about you? – Bueno, no me puedo quejar, Miguel. ¿Y tú?
10) ¿Qué pasa? – ¿Qué más?
These expressions are very informal. They’re usually only used when there is a high level of confidence or friendship. Both ¿qué pasa? and ¿qué más? can be interpreted as “what’s up?” or “what’s goin’ on?” in English.
Its use is often rhetorical, similarly to the case of “¿qué tal?,” in that we don’t necessarily expect an answer from the other person.
- Two friends run into the street: Hey, what ‘s up, buddy? ¿What ‘s new? – ¿Qué más, compadre? ¿Qué hay de nuevo?
If you’re in Colombia, you’ll likely even hear a slang version of this expression: ¿qué más pues?
How are you in Spanish: Quiz video
Before we move on to the typical responses, why don’t you see how well you’ve learned these ten ways to ask how are you? in Spanish! You’ll hear each Spanish phrase and have a few moments to remember the English version before hearing the answer. See how you do!
In addition, this video also offers some practice with some of the best compliments in Spanish. We recommend checking out that post to help you with your small talk too, along with its video lesson to help you learn each Spanish compliment.
How are you in Spanish – Typical Responses
Now that you’ve got your Spanish small talk started, you need a few responses to keep it going! Here are a bunch of easy ones for you. Keep in mind all these answers may be accompanied by “¿Y tú?” (“And you?“) at the end.
|
English Response |
Spanish Response |
|
I am fine, thanks! |
¡Estoy bien, gracias! |
|
Everything is good! |
¡Todo bien! |
|
So far so good! |
¡Bien hasta ahora! ¡Por ahora todo bien! |
|
I am doing great! |
¡Me va súper bien! |
|
Everything is going well! |
¡Todo va bien! |
|
Good enough! |
¡Bastante bien! |
|
So far so good! |
¡Bueno, ahí vamos! |
|
I can’t complain! |
¡No me puedo quejar! |
|
Same old same old |
Lo mismo de siempre |
|
Same as always |
Igual que siempre |
|
Great! |
¡Buenísimo! |
|
Terrible |
Malísimo |
|
Not very well |
No muy bien |
|
So-so |
Más o menos |
|
So-so |
Ahí |
Conclusion
With these ten common phrases for asking how are you in Spanish, along with a good list of common responses, you’re well on your way to mastering some basic Spanish small talk. Keep practicing with the video quiz, or even better, with some native Spanish speakers, and you’ll have these basic Spanish phrases under your belt in no time!
Why is learning different ways of saying How are you in Spanish so important? Learning basic key phrases is a good way of starting your journey. Incorporating these concepts into your beginner phrases will help you to assimilate accurate lexicon much quicker and build your repertoire of conversational Spanish.
The most common way to say how are you in Spanish, is ¿cómo estas? Literally meaning “how are you?”. However, there are other ways to ask how are you in Spanish! This article offers you 20 examples of context-sensitive greetings and other hard Spanish words to help you build a conversation. It’s an easy way to start the process of grasping nuances. What’s more, it will also help you to retain your grammar lessons.
20 Detailed Ways to Say “How are You” in Spanish
| Spanish | English | |
| 1 | ¿Cómo estas? | How are you? (informal) |
| 2 | ¿Cómo esta usted? | How are you? (formal) |
| 3 | ¿Cómo van las cosas? | How are things going? (neutral) |
| 4 | ¿Cómo va todo? | How is everything going? (neutral) |
| 5 | ¿Cómo te va? | How’s it going? (informal) |
| 6 | ¿Cómo andas? | How’s it going? (slang) |
| 7 | ¿Cómo te ha ido? | How have you been? (informal) |
| 8 | ¿Qué haces? | What’s up? (slang) |
| 9 | ¿Qué tal? | What’s up? (slang) |
| 10 | ¿Qué onda? | What can you tell me? (informal) |
| 11 | ¿Qué me cuentas? | What can you tell me? (informal) |
| 12 | ¿Qué cuentas? | What’s new? (informal) |
| 13 | ¿Qué hay de nuevo? | What’s new? (very informal) |
| 14 | ¿Qué hay? | What’s new? (very informal) |
| 15 | ¿Qué pasa? | What’s happening? (slang) |
| 16 | ¿Qué hubo? | What’s happening? (slang) |
| 17 | ¿Quiubo? | What’s happening? (slang) |
| 18 | ¿Qué es de tu vida? | What’s going on in your life? (informal) |
| 19 | ¿Cómo te esta tratando la vida? | How is life treating you? (neutral) |
| 20 | ¿Todo bien? | Is everything well? (neutral) |
Simply knowing key greeting phrases isn’t enough. You also need to know what to say when, and what is expected of you when being greeted. If someone asks you ¿Cómo estas? would you know how to say “Good, how are you?” in Spanish? What if someone prefaces ¿Cómo estas? with ¡Buenos días! (good morning)? Would it confuse you?
1. ¿Cómo estas?
How are you? (informal)
This is the most straightforward way you can greet someone in a social setting. You could also ask ¿Cómo estas tú? (”tú” meaning singular “you” in an informal setting). However, because estas has already been conjugated from the word estar (to be) to indicate an informal singular “you,” the sentence will still make sense without the pronoun. (Verb conjugation in Spanish is decided by the number of people you are speaking to and the formality of the setting.)
- Q: ¿Cómo estas? (How are you?)
- A: Estoy bien. (I am well.)
2. ¿Cómo esta usted?
How are you? (Formal)
As above, usted can be omitted and still make sense because the verb already indicates a singular “you” but, because you would use this in a formal setting, including usted would be more appropriate. You would use this when greeting your boss, an elder, or someone you don’t know.
- Q: ¿Cómo esta usted? (How are you?)
- A: Estoy bien, graicias. ¿Y tú? (I am well, thank you. And you?)
3. ¿Comó van las cosas?
How are things going? (Neutral)
This literally means “How go the things?” You can use this in a setting with one or with more people you know. Just as in English, this question is not an invitation to elaborate on matters. The answer would most likely be “fine,” “good,” okay,” and so on.
- Q: ¿Comó van las cosas? (How are things going?)
- A: Las cosas van bien. (Things are going well.)
4. ¿Cómo va todo?
How is everything going? (Neutral)
This literally means “How go the things?” You can use this in a setting with one or with more people you know. Just as in English, asking Spanish question words are not really an invitation to elaborate on matters. The answer would most likely be “fine,” “good,” okay,” and so on.
-
Q: ¿Comó van las cosas? (How are things going?)
-
A: Las cosas van bien. (Things are going well.)
5. ¿Cómo te va?
How’s it going? (Informal)
This one is pretty straightforward. It is an informal way to greet someone, but it’s more informal than cómo estas.
By now you’ve noticed the use of “va” for “going.” Note that va is a conjugation and will change according to the pronoun you use or the tense. (I go = Yo voy; he goes = el va; they go = ellos (male) van; we go = nosotros (male) vamos.)
- Q: ¿Cómo te va? (How’s it going?)
- A: Ma va bien. (It’s going well.)
6. ¿Cómo andas?
How’s it going? (slang)
This one is pretty straightforward. It is an informal way to greet someone, but it’s more informal than cómo estas (how are you in Spanish).
By now you’ve noticed the use of “va” for “going.” Note that va is a conjugation and will change according to the pronoun you use or the tense. (I go = Yo voy; he goes = el va; they go = ellos (male) van; we go = nosotros (male) vamos.)
- Q: ¿Cómo te va? (How’s it going?)
- A: Ma va bien. (It’s going well.)
7. ¿Cómo te ha ido?
How have you been? (Informal)
This is an informal way of asking how someone has been. Formally, it would be more appropriate to use cómo has estado but, in an informal setting, this is colloquially acceptable and makes for more natural speech among acquaintances.
- Q: ¿Comó te ha ido? (How have you been?)
- A: He estado bien. (I’ve been well.)
8. ¿Qué hacés?
What’s up? (Informal)
Where all our previous greetings started with “cómo,” which you would have seen means “how,” you will note here the use of “qué,” meaning “what.”
¿Qué hacés? is an informal way of a greeting friends or people younger than you, and asking how are you in Spanish. It’s literal translation is “What do you do?” In formal situations you would ask ¿A qué te dedicas?, referring to their job, but not when greeting someone.
- Q: ¿Qué hacés? (What’s up?)
- A: No mucho. (Nothing much.)
9. ¿Qué tal?
What’s up? (Slang)
This would be the equivalent of the English “What’s up?” in terms of its informality. However, considering that it literally means “What is your current state?” you wouldn’t answer it with “Not much” or “The sky.” You would rather respond to it as if you are being asked how you are.
- Q: ¿Qué tal hermosa? (What’s up beautiful? How are you?)
- A: Excelente, ¿y tú? (Excellent, and you?)
10. ¿Qué onda?
What’s up? (Slang)
If you find yourself in Latin America, qué onda would be a good way to greet your friends if you are on the younger side. Using this how are you in Spanish, question in formal settings or when greeting older adults would be out of place as it would be like asking someone “How you vibing?”
- Q: ¿Qué onda? (What’s up?)
- A: Todo bien. (All well.)
11. ¿Qué me cuentas?
What can you tell me? (Informal)
The literal meaning is “What do you tell me?”—you are basically asking “What’s new?” Although the word cuentas means “account,” you are not asking for an actual account of their day although it does allow them to go into detail if they so wished.
- Q: ¿Qué me cuentas? (What can you tell me?)
- A: ¡Es mi cumpleaños! (It’s my birthday!)
12. ¿Qué cuentas?
What’s new? (Informal)
¿Qué cuentas? is somewhere between “What’s up?” and “What’s new?” leaving out the singular first-person pronoun. In either case, your answer would be worded the same.
- Q: ¿Qué cuentas? (What’s new?)
- A: Oh, no mucho. (Oh, nothing much.)
13. ¿Qué hay de nuevo?
What’s new? (Very informal)
It’s only appropriate to use this in very informal situations like when talking to friends. It comes down to being asked what’s up that’s new. It does however open the door to a more elaborate answer than when just asking ¿Qué cuentas?
- Q: ¿Qué hay de nuevo? (What’s new?)
- A: Me ascendieron. (I was (got) promoted.)
14. ¿Qué hay?
What’s new? (Very informal)
This is even more informal as it is a shortened version of the above. You’re not actually asking someone what is new—you’re just opening the conversation. It literally means “What is there?” so it would also be appropriate to ask ¿Qué hay? (for lunch).
- Q: ¡Te extraño! ¿Qué hay? (I miss you! What’s new?)
- A: No me quejo. (Can’t complain.)
15. ¿Qué pasa?
What’s happening? (Slang)
Where qué onda would work in Latin America, qué pasa would work in Spain. Outside of an informal context, this would be viewed as you asking what is wrong or what is the matter. Of course, tone also contributes to the meaning.
16. ¿Qué hubo?
What’s happening? (Slang)
This is closer to its English counterpart, literally meaning “What happened?” Here, again, tone and context would dictate the meaning—it would be considered an actual question when not used as a greeting.
- Q: ¿Qué hubo? (What’s happening?)
- A: Todo bien. (Everything’s good.)
17. ¿Quiubo?
What’s happening? (Slang – contraction of “Que hubo)
This is the slangiest of slang. As you can infer, quiubo would be pronounced like qué hubo, but much faster. Think of it as you would say “Howzit” but mean “How is it.”
- Q: ¿Quiubo? (What’s happening?)
- A: ¡Quiubo, mi amigo! (What’s happening, my friend!)
18. ¿Qué es de tu vida?
What’s going on in your life? (Informal)
It makes more sense to think of this as “How’s life?” It’s an informal phrase that invites more information about someone you know and probably haven’t spoken to in a while.
- Q: ¿Qué es de tu vida? (What’s going on in your life?)
- A: Estoy aprendiendo Español. (I’m learning Spanish.)
19. ¿Comó te esta tratando la vida?
How is life treating you? (Neutral)
Although it is used as an opener, it is also the type of question you would ask when you care about a more detailed answer and, for obvious reasons, one you would ask in a formal setting only if it is appropriate.
- Q: ¿Comó te esta tratando la vida? (How is life treating you?)
- A: ¡Estoy embarazada! (I’m pregnant!)
20. ¿Todo bien?
All well? (Neutral)
Just as in French, you can ask a question simply by making a statement and raising your inflection at the end of the sentence. Something like todo bien is both a question and an answer, depending on how you say it.
- Q: ¿Todo bien? (All well?)
- A: Todo bien. (All’s well.)
10 Ways to Answer “How are You” in Spanish
As a beginner, no one would expect you to go into the details of your promotion when asked “How are you?” in Spanish. The most common answers you should know are bien (well) and muy bien (very well). If you want to get fancy, throw in a “Good, how are you?” in Spanish.
Above, you learned:
- Muy bien (Very well)
- Gracias (Thank you)
- ¿Y tú? (And you?)
Now, make your own sentence!
¿Cómo estas?
Muy bien, gracias. ¿Y tú?
One, two, three. You have just pieced together your own sentence. The ball is rolling…
Here are a few other standard responses that will work well for you in the beginning.
| Spanish | English | |
| 1 | Bastante bien | Quiete well |
| 2 | Más o menos | Somewhat okay |
| 3 | Mal | Bad |
| 4 | Igual que siempre | The same as always |
| 5 | Ahí vamos | Hanging in there |
| 6 | De maravilla | Wonderful |
| 7 | Pésimo | Terrible |
| 8 | Estoy muy bien | I’m great |
| 9 | No tan bien | Not so well |
| 10 | Regular | Same as always |
What does ¿Cómo estás? mean in English?
It means “How are you?”. It is an informal question, for formal question, you can ask: ¿Cómo esta usted?
What does ¿Cómo? mean in Spanish?
It basically means “How”, like “¿Cómo te va?” is “How’s going?”.
¿Cómo estás tú? What does it mean?
It means “How are you?”, just like ¿Cómo estás?. They mean the same. This is a very common way to say How are you in Spanish.
Muy Bien, Llegaste Hasta Aqui! (Nice Job! You Made it Here!)
You will learn how to say “How are you” in Spanish in no time. How long does it take to learn Spanish? Definitely longer, but with a Spanish tutor you can fast-track your progress. The tutors at AmazingTalker will take into account your native language, your region, and many other factors when coaching you through the process.
Find the perfect tutor for you today and say, Estoy aprendiendo Español! (I’m learning Spanish!)
Hey future Spanish speaker!
You want to ask How are You in Spanish, right? Good! Learning how to ask “how are you” is the next step after learning to say hello in Spanish.
Here, you will learn 18 phrases that express that notion.
Each entry includes a “pronunciation” section to help you sound them out. Here’s what you do:
- Read the translations
- Say the pronunciation out loud
- Listen to the audio below
Read on!
1. How are you? ¿Cómo estás?
- ¿Cómo estás?
- Pronunciation: Ko-Mo Eh-Stas
This phrase translates to “How are you?”
This is the most common way of saying How are you in Spanish. If you need to remember just one phrase, let it be this one. The way to pronounce “¿Cómo estás?” is Ko-Mo Eh-Stas. You may start a conversation with this phrase by saying “Hola, cómo estás?” which translates to “Hello, how are you?”.
Note: You should also HEAR how to say Hello in Spanish.
Press play below. Try this Free 2-minute Lesson from SpanishPod101 to hear the common Spanish greetings.
- Mexican Spanish Lesson #1 – What you been up to?
- Free Lesson by SpanishPod101.com (click here for more free audio lessons).
2. How are you? ¿Cómo está usted?
- ¿Cómo está usted?
- Ko-Mo Eh-Sta U-Stead
This is a more formal way of asking how are you in Spanish. It is commonly used in Nicaragua and various parts of Central America. This way of asking someone how they are is used on someone you may have just met, but do not really know that well. The way to pronounce “¿Cómo está usted?” is Ko-Mo Eh-Sta U-Stead.
3. And you what? ¿Y usted vos qué?
- ¿Y usted vos qué?
- Eee U-Stead Vos Ke
This is a very informal way of asking someone how they are doing. This phrase is commonly used in Spain which literally translates to “And you what?”. ¿Y usted vos qué? can best be pronounced Eee U-Stead Vos Ke.
4. What have you been up to? ¿Qué has hecho?
- ¿Qué has hecho?
- Ke- Ahs- E-ch-O
This is another informal way of asking someone indirectly how they are doing. This phrase translates to “What have you done?” or “What have you been up to?” You may ask someone you already know and have had some type of relationship with “¿Qué has hecho?” The way to pronounce this phrase is Ke- Ahs- E-ch-O.
5. How are you doing? ¿Qué es la qué hay?
- ¿Qué es la qué hay?
- Ke-Es-La-Ke-Ay
This phrase is most commonly used in Cuba. You may have also heard a couple of songs titled “¿Que es la que hay?” by reggaeton artists like Daddy Yankee and Don Omar. This phrase is intended to ask “How are you doing?” but depending on the context it may also mean “What’s Up?”. The way to pronounce this phrase is Ke-Es-La-Ke-Ay.
6. What’s new? ¿Qué hay?
- ¿Qué hay?
- Ke A-Ee
This is a way shorter version of the previous phrase. In English, this translates to “What’s new?” It is an informal phrase that is meant to be answered as if you were asked “How are you?” The way to pronounce this would be Ke A-Ee.
7. How are things? ¿Qué tal?
- ¿Qué tal?
- Ke-Tal
This phrase can mean “How are you?” or “How are things?” When you see someone you haven’t talked to in a long time, you may say “Hola, que tal?” The way to pronounce this phrase is going to be Ke-Tal. Pretty easy!
Very good way of asking how are you in Spanish.
8. What’s going on? What’s up?
- ¿Qué pasa?
- Ke Pa-Sa
How do you say what’s up in Spanish?
This is it.
This phrase means a couple of different things like, “What’s going on?”, “How are you?”, and “What’s up?” Que pasa is an informal way of asking someone how they are doing. The way to pronounce this phrase is Ke Pa-Sa.
9. How are things going? ¿Cómo van las cosas?
- ¿Cómo van las cosas?
- Ko-Mo Vawn Las Ko-sas
This phrase translates to “How are things going?” This phrase may also be asked when you have not seen someone in a long time and want to catch up by asking them how they have been. The way to pronounce this phrase is Ko-Mo Vawn Las Ko-sas.
10. How is it going with you? ¿Cómo te va?
- ¿Cómo te va?
- Ko-Mo Te Vah
This phrase means “How is it going with you?” or just “How’s it going?” The way to pronounce this is Ko-Mo Te Vah.
11. How have you been? ¿Cómo te ha ido?
- ¿Cómo te ha ido?
- Ko-Mo Te Ah Eee-Doh
This is a phrase that translates to “How have you been?” The way to pronounce this phrase is Ko-Mo Te Ah Eee-Doh.
12. How are you guys? ¿Cómo estan?
- ¿Cómo estan?
- Ko-Mo Es-Tan
This is a plural phrase that translates to “How are you guys?” If you walk into a room filled with co-workers on a Monday morning, you may address them all at once by saying “Buenos dias! Cómo estan?” The way to pronounce this phrase is Ko-Mo Es-Tan.
13. How are you? ¿Quiubo? (in Central America)
- ¿Quiubo?
- ¿Q’vole?
- ¿Quiobole?
These phrases mean the same thing. It is a combined slang phrase widely used in Central America known as “Qué hubo?” It is a very informal way of asking someone “How are you?” but may also mean “What’s up?” The way to pronounce all three is very similar. ¿Quiubo? Is pronounced Ke-Ooo-Bo. ¿Q’vole? and ¿Quiobole? is just adding the “le” at the end. Therefore, it is K-Ooo-Bo-Le. You may start a conversation with someone by just saying “Ay! Quiubo!?” or by simply saying “¿Quiobole?”
14. How do you feel? ¿Cómo se sientes?
- ¿Cómo se sientes?
- Ko-Mo Te See-En-Tes
This phrase translates to “How do you feel?” or “How are you feeling?” If you are visiting someone who is sick or has just gone through a traumatic event in their life, you may ask them “¿Cómo te sientes?” The way to pronounce this would be Ko-Mo Te See-En-Tes.
15. How are you walking? ¿Cómo andas?
- ¿Cómo andas?
- Ko-Mo Ahn-Das
This phrase is a very informal way of asking someone how they are. The word andas means walk or walking. But this phrase is not meant to ask someone “How are you walking?” but rather “How are you?” You may also address a group of people with this phrase by changing the “s” in andas to an “n” and ask, “¿Como andan?” meaning “How are you guys?” The way to pronounce this phrase would be Ko-Mo Ahn-Das.
16. What else? ¿Qué mas?
- ¿Qué mas?
- Ke-Mas
This is an informal phrase that is very popular in Colombia. It literally translates to “What else?” but it’s suppose to mean “How are you?” or “What’s up?” You may acknowledge an individual by asking them “¿Qué mas?” The way to pronounce this would be Ke-Mas.
17. Good or what? ¿Bien o qué?
- ¿Bien o qué?
- Bee-En Oh Ke
This is another informal phrase popular in Colombia and other parts of Central America. It literally translates in English to “Good or what?” When you ask someone “¿Bien o qué? ” you are basically asking them how they are doing. The way you would pronounce this phrase is Bee-En Oh Ke.
18. How are you, bro? ¿Cómo estás pana?
- ¿Cómo estás pana?
- Ko-Mo Eh-Stas Pa-Na
This is a common phrase used in Venezuela. In English it means “How are you, bro?” or “How are you dude?” The way to pronounce this phrase is Ko-Mo Eh-Stas Pa-Na.
Now you know all the ways of saying how are you in Spanish.
Do you know of any others? Yes? Leave a comment!
Next article to check out:
- How to Learn Spanish in 5 Minutes
- How to say hello in Spanish
P.S. Want to learn & speak Spanish? I recommend SpanishPod101.com
You get 1,000+ audio/video lessons made by real teachers. They teach you conversations so you can start speaking — from Beginner to Advanced. Also, I like them because they release new lessons which are free for all users. So, go check out their Spanish learning program.
Click here to visit SpanishPod101 & sign up for a free lifetime account
