How are you?

¿Qué tal? is so common that it often works like hello, and a short Bien, ¿y tú? is enough.

After hello comes how are you, and Spanish has several ways to ask it. Some are close to a greeting and expect a quick answer. Others are a real question about how the person feels. This unit covers both kinds, the short answers you will use every day, and the verb that holds them together.

Asking

¿Qué tal? (how is it going?) is the lightest and works with almost anyone. ¿Cómo estás? (how are you?) is friendly and informal. With someone you address formally, say ¿Cómo está usted?, or just ¿Cómo está? The only difference is the final s, which marks the informal tú form. The Instituto Cervantes curriculum pairs these questions with the answers (Muy) bien, gracias, ¿y tú? or ¿y usted?

Answering

Most answers are short: bien (fine), muy bien (very well), estupendo (great), regular (so-so), más o menos (more or less), mal (not well). Add gracias and return the question: Bien, gracias, ¿y tú? Returning the question is part of the exchange, and leaving it out can sound abrupt. To say more, use estoy: Estoy cansado (I am tired, said by a man) or Estoy cansada (said by a woman). Adjectives agree with the speaker, so contento becomes contenta. To return the question formally, say ¿Y usted?

¿Qué tal? can also be followed by a noun to ask about something specific: ¿Qué tal el viaje? (How was the trip?), ¿Qué tal el trabajo? (How is work?). The Instituto Cervantes lists this pattern among the first ways to get someone talking.

Other relaxed openers

Friends also use ¿Todo bien? (all good?) and ¿Qué te cuentas? (what is new?, literally what do you tell yourself?). A one-word answer plus the return question is enough: ¿Todo bien? Sí, todo bien, ¿y tú? With someone you have not seen for a while, ¡Tanto tiempo sin verte! (so long without seeing you!) usually comes first.