So how do you say how are you in Spanish? Spanish speaking people tend to be friendly, so it will come naturally to most to start of a conversation in Spanish by asking, “How are you?” So how do we do this? Firstly you need to understand that there are two main methods and you would choose one method over another based on the how well you know and respect the person you are talking to.
For someone you have met before and or you have an informal relationship with such as a friend or someone you know well, “How are you?” translates directly to:
Pronounced: KO MOW EH STAHS
For someone you have not met before or you feel demands an element of respect because of their position or job role (for instance colleagues) then this changes to:
Cómo Está?
Pronounced: KO MOW EH STAH
Another common greeting between people who are familiar with each other is “Hi. How are things?” this translates to:
!Hola. Que tal?
Pronounced: O LA – KEY TAL
If you are greeted in this manner the method of reply is simple. The greeting should be returned as in most languages, you can answer the question if they have asked how you are and then you can return the question (by asking them the same question).
So if you are greeted with “Hola! Cómo estás?” your response can be “Estoy bien. Y tú?”- which translates to: “I am well. And you?” This again is for family and friends (informal). If you were asked formally then the response would be, “Estoy bien. Y usted?” – this means the same (i.e. “I am well. And You?”) but it is the formal response.
