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!
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