A0 · 6 · Complete beginner
How to Ask and Answer “How Are You?” in Spanish
A quick exchange about how you are is part of countless everyday encounters, from walking into a bar to meeting a neighbour. The usual reply is brief, but choosing between tú and usted helps the exchange fit the relationship.
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What you'll be able to do
- ✓Ask how someone is in an everyday conversation.
- ✓Choose an informal or formal and respectful question.
- ✓Answer naturally with a short positive, neutral or negative reply.
- ✓Return the question with the appropriate form of “and you?”.
- ✓Recognise two common expressions used in these exchanges.
What people normally expect
¿Qué tal? works much like “How’s it going?” It often forms part of the greeting rather than beginning a serious conversation about how you feel.
A short answer is therefore normal. You can say bien, add gracias, and return the question. A complete everyday exchange might use ¿Qué tal?, bien, gracias and ¿y tú?.
A negative answer is possible, but it may encourage the other person to ask more because it signals that something is wrong.
Choose the question
¿Qué tal? does not mark the relationship as informal or formal, so it works in almost any everyday situation.
¿Cómo estás? is informal. It suits friends, family and most ordinary conversations. It can sound slightly more like a genuine enquiry than the lighter ¿Qué tal?.
¿Cómo está? is formal or deliberately respectful. English uses the same “How are you?” in both relationships, but Spanish changes the form.
The only visible difference is the final s in estás. These questions come from a verb meaning “to be”, but for now it is best to remember each one as a complete phrase.
| Relationship | Question | Usual effect |
|---|---|---|
| No informal or formal choice marked | ¿Qué tal? | Light and often part of a greeting |
| Informal | ¿Cómo estás? | Often sounds more like a genuine enquiry |
| Formal or respectful | ¿Cómo está? | Matches a formal or deliberately respectful relationship |
Choose a short answer
English often answers with a full sentence such as “I’m fine”. Spanish normally uses bien on its own here. There is no missing equivalent of “I’m” that you need to add.
Muy bien is more positive, and muy means “very”. Bien, gracias is a courteous everyday answer.
Be careful with regular. It does not mean “usual” here. It means “so-so” or “not great”, and the stress falls on the final syllable because the word ends in r.
Mal means that you are not well or that things are bad. Fatal is much stronger, meaning “awful” or “terrible”.
| Answer | Natural meaning | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| muy bien | very well | Very positive |
| bien | fine / well | The usual plain answer |
| regular | so-so / not great | Something is not quite right |
| mal | bad / not well | A clearly negative answer |
| fatal | awful / terrible | The strongest negative answer here |
Ask the question back
After answering, it is natural to return the question. Use ¿y tú? in an informal exchange and ¿y usted? in a formal or respectful one.
The return question should match the relationship. After ¿Cómo estás?, use ¿y tú?. After ¿Cómo está?, use ¿y usted?.
With ¿Qué tal?, choose the return question according to the person. For example, bien, gracias. ¿Y tú? suits an informal conversation, while bien, gracias. ¿Y usted? keeps the exchange formal or respectful.
The relationship matters more than age by itself. If you are unsure, you can follow the form the other person uses or ask ¿qué tal?.
| Relationship | Return the question |
|---|---|
| Informal | ¿Y tú? |
| Formal or respectful | ¿Y usted? |
Two expressions to recognise
¡Buenas! is a friendly hello that can be used at any time of day. ¡Buenas! ¿Qué tal? is a common everyday combination. You only need to recognise ¡Buenas! at this stage.
Fatal is an everyday way to say that you feel awful or that things are going terribly. It is stronger than mal, and it is also for recognition at this stage.
The words
- ¿Qué tal?
- How are you? / How’s it going?Often works as part of a greeting and usually expects a short answer.
- ¿Cómo estás?
- How are you? (informal)Use with someone you speak to informally.
- ¿Cómo está?
- How are you? (formal or respectful)Use in a formal or deliberately respectful relationship.
- bien
- fine / wellA complete short answer in this exchange.
- muy bien
- very wellA more positive answer; muy is one syllable.
- bien, gracias
- fine, thanksA courteous everyday reply.
- regular
- so-so / not greatIt does not mean “usual” here; the final syllable is stressed.
- mal
- bad / not wellA negative answer that may invite a longer conversation.
- ¿y tú?
- and you? (informal)Use to return the question informally.
- ¿y usted?
- and you? (formal or respectful)Use to return the question formally or respectfully.
- ¡Buenas!
- Hello!Recognition only; a friendly greeting at any time of day.
- fatal
- awful / terribleRecognition only; a much stronger negative answer than mal.
More examples: real moments
- Rosa
- ¡Buenas! ¿Qué tal?Hello! How’s it going?
- Lucía
- Muy bien, gracias. ¿Y tú?Very well, thanks. And you?
- Rosa
- Bien.Fine.
- Receptionist
- Buenas tardes. ¿Cómo está?Good afternoon. How are you?
- Carmen
- Bien, gracias. ¿Y usted?Fine, thanks. And you?
- Receptionist
- Muy bien.Very well.
- Dani
- Hola. ¿Cómo estás?Hello. How are you?
- Lucía
- Regular. ¿Y tú?Not great. And you?
- Dani
- Bien.Fine.
Remember
- •¿Qué tal? is often a greeting and normally expects a short answer.
- •Use bien alone instead of trying to build the full English sentence “I’m fine”.
- •Use ¿Cómo estás? with tú and ¿Cómo está? with usted.
- •Return the question with ¿y tú? or ¿y usted? to match the relationship.
- •Regular is less positive than it looks, while fatal is stronger than mal.
- •Recognise ¡Buenas! ¿Qué tal? as a common everyday greeting.
Practice
Type or choose your answer; each one is checked as you go.
1. Choose the right expression
Choose the expression that fits each meaning or relationship.
1.You want a light question that does not mark the relationship as informal or formal.
2.You are speaking to a close friend. Use the question that specifically marks the relationship as informal.
3.You are speaking to an official. Use the question that marks the relationship as formal or respectful.
4.Which answer means “so-so” or “not great”?
5.Which answer is the strongest negative expression here and is for recognition at this stage?
2. Complete the short phrases
Fill each gap with the missing Spanish word.
1.Complete the courteous answer. Bien, .
2.Return the question to a friend. ¿Y ?
3.Complete the formal or respectful question. ¿Cómo ?
4.Complete the positive answer meaning “very well”. bien.
5.Give the usual one-word answer meaning “fine” or “well”.
6.Give the one-word answer meaning “bad” or “not well”.
3. Translate the exchange
Translate each English phrase into Spanish using the form requested.
1.How’s it going? Use the light question that does not mark the relationship.
2.How are you? Ask one friend informally.
3.How are you? Ask one person formally or respectfully.
4.Fine, thanks.
5.So-so or not great.
6.And you? Use the formal or respectful form.
4. Reply in a real exchange
Write the complete reply requested in each situation.
1.Lucía says Hola. ¿Cómo estás? Reply that you are fine, thank her and return the question informally.
2.An official says Buenos días. ¿Cómo está? Reply that you are fine, thank them and return the question formally.
3.Javi says ¡Buenas! ¿Qué tal? Reply with the exact two-word answer meaning “very well”.
4.You want to ask Rosa how she is without marking the relationship as informal or formal.
Write your own quick exchange
Choose a real person and a greeting that suits the time of day. Write three lines: greet and ask how they are, answer and return the question, then give the final short answer. Decide whether tú or usted fits, then say all three lines aloud.
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Grammar in this lesson: Word stress and the written accent · Tú, usted, vosotros and ustedes · Asking questions
Revised 26 October 2026