Updated on March 26, 2024
15 ways to ask “How are you?” in Spanish
“What the dilly yo, boss?”
Cringe, right? Not an appropriate way to talk to your boss at work.
So, how do you say “How are you” in Spanish? It’s important to greet someone the right way.
There are lots of ways to ask how people are doing in Spanish. We know from our native English that there are lots of variations on this.
Don’t worry, we’ll cover other ways such as “How are you feeling?” in Spanish, “How are you today?”, as well as greeting your boss. That way, you won’t make the cringe mistake above!
In our guide, we’re going to cover:
So, let’s get started.
When talking to your boss, a police officer, and your grandma, you need to show respect by using formal language. A formal setting typically includes an authority figure or someone older than you. If you’re just not sure, always err on the side of caution and be polite.
¿Cómo está? or ¿Cómo está usted? – Literally means ‘How are you?’ in Spanish and is best for this formal situation. You can omit the “usted” without a change in meaning.
This is a phrase you can use to say “How do you do?”
This phrase means “How are you feeling?” in Spanish. Again, this uses the “usted” form.
If someone asks you this question – look at you getting all that respect! – you can answer:
¿Bien y tú? – Fine thanks, and you? – for a younger person
¿Bien y usted? – Fine thanks, and you? – for an older person/authority figure
When talking to a bunch of bosses, a plethora of police, or a gaggle of grannies we use formal speech in plural format.
If you want to greet two or more authority figures at once in Spanish, then we need to change the phrases a little. In Latin America, the ”ustedes” form is used:
¿Cómo están (ustedes)? – How are you all?
¿Cómo se sienten (ustedes)? – How do you all feel?
Stick to the basics and politeness in these situations where you need to say how are you in Spanish formally.
When talking to your friend, your colleague, or someone your age or younger, you can be informal. This is the most commonly used way to greet someone or say how are you doing in Spanish.
It uses the “tú” form, and you’ve probably used it:
¿Cómo estás? is the “How are you?” phrase conjugated in the “tú” (informal “you”) form.
This is another common greeting that can be used in both informal or formal situations.
It’s typically used when you haven’t seen a person for a long time, and you want to catch up with them. Its direct translation would be: “How have you been?”
¿Cómo te sientes?” is the way to ask “How do you feel?” informally, using the “tú” form again.
For a friend or colleague you see often, after saying “Good morning” (or Buenos dias) you can add: “¿Cómo estás hoy?” – “How are you today?”
¿Qué tal? – How are you? This one is even acceptable to use with your grandma.
It’s a very versatile way to ask how anything has been:
¿Qué tal el vuelo? – How was the flight?
¿Qué tal tu fin de semana? – How was your weekend?
These phrases are a great foundation for any informal situation.
Make sure you are comfortable using these ways before you start to use slang or other colloquial expressions.
There are a zillion ways to say “How are you doing?” in Spanish. In this section, let’s explore some more colorful ways.
“¿Cómo te va?’’ can be used to say “How are you doing?” in informal settings. Similarly, you can say: “¿Cómo vas?” (How’s it going?”)
There are also loads of universally-used slang words:
¿Qué pasa? – What’s happening? (Literally, “What happens?”)
¿Qué onda? – What’s up? (Literally, “What roll/wave?”)
We use “¿Qué hay de nuevo?” to ask “What’s new?”
The more general phrase “¿Cómo van las cosas?” (or “¿Cómo va todo?”) means “How are things going?”
“¿Cómo andas?” essentially means “How’s it going?” and is very similar to “¿Cómo va todo?,” but sounds more informal.
This phrase literally means “What can you tell me?” (meaning “So, tell me what’s new”) and is another phrase we use to catch up with someone.
Finally, “Todo bien” is just like the English phrase “Everything alright?”
Here in Mexico, there is a lot of slang for how to say how are you in Spanish.
Qué transa? – Literally “What dealings?”
Qué pedo? – Literally, “What fart?”
Qué flow? – Literally, “What flow?”
Qué show? – Literally, “What show?”
The last two use English words to say “How are you doing” in Spanish. Although they’re in English, make sure you say them with a clear accent. Pronunciation is important in all things including how to say how you are in Spanish slang.
Make sure you’re using slang in informal contexts with friends; otherwise, you might end up saying “How are you?” in Spanish like a chavoruco – a not-cool dad-like figure.
So, as you are building up your conversational Spanish skills, first get comfortable with the basic ways of how to say “How are you?” in Spanish. That’s “Cómo está?” and “¿Cómo estás?.
Most importantly, know your audience. Some situations will be formal and a mistake could risk you sounding rude. Once you understand the context, branch out and start using some slang for saying how are you doing in Spanish.
It is especially important to distinguish between formal and informal situations. Even knowing thirty phrases to say “How are you?” in Spanish may not be helpful, if you don’t know when to use them.
As a beginner, being polite will go a long way in helping you gain respect in your new Spanish-speaking environment.
Now, to keep the conversation going, you also need to know how to reply to “How are you?” in Spanish.
Let’s also look at how to say “I’m good” in Spanish
When responding to the common inquiry “How are you?” in Spanish, the appropriate reply is “Estoy bien,” where “bien” translates to “good” or “well.”
You can also give other responses with a different degree of positivity.
To specify how good my day has been:
“Bien, muchas gracias” translates to “Well, thank you very much,” while “Bueno, ahí vamos” conveys a casual “well, so far so good.”
For an optimistic outlook, phrases like “¡Todo bien!” (So far so good!), “¡Bastante bien!” (Quite well!), and “¡Me va súper bien!” (I’m doing great!) are quite common.
When you’ve had a particularly good day, you might exclaim, “¡No me puedo quejar! Hoy tuve un buen día” (I can’t complain! I had a good day).
If the day has been mediocre, “Más o menos” (So-so) is a fitting response.
For a touch of enthusiasm and inquiry, you can conclude with “De lujo, y tú, ¿qué tal?” (Luxurious, and you, how about you?).
So, we have offered you 15 context-sensitive phrases to help you start a conversation with native Spanish speakers.
Understanding the nuances of each Spanish phrase listed above will help you navigate social interactions in Spanish with finesse, avoiding cringe-worthy moments and fostering a genuine connection with those you engage with.
Whether it’s a formal greeting to your boss or a casual catch-up with a friend, these phrases equip you to ask and answer about someone’s well-being in Spanish.
