How to say how are you in Spanish in 59 formal & funny ways

You’ve made friends with Spanish speakers. Now what?

Being able to introduce yourself in Spanish and making new friends is an incredible feat in and of itself. However, being able to keep and nurture these relationships should be one of your ultimate goals when learning Spanish.

Even if you’re not a social butterfly, you should still spend some time learning different ways to ask “how are you” in Spanish. Just like English, Spanish is spoken in many countries all around the world. Naturally, many countries will use different phrases and terminology when checking in on their friends.

For example, if you’re from the US, you’re likely used to hearing “how are you?” when greeting someone. However, in the UK, it’s more common to greet friends and strangers with a “you alright?”

The same is true in Spanish! You might learn a simple “¿cómo estás?”, which might get you through most everyday interactions–until it doesn’t. What if someone asks you ¿cómo te va?, ¿qué tal?, or perhaps even a “¿qué onda, wey?”. You’ve got to be prepared for every possible scenario!

Finally, you also need to be prepared to share a little bit of info when someone asks how you’re doing in Spanish. In English, asking someone how they’re doing tends to be just a formality–you’re not actually expected to reflect on your current state of wellbeing.

However, Spanish speakers are not shy about sharing some information when asked how they’re doing. Depending on your level of closeness, you may share some superficial info (“a bit tired, but I’m okay!”) or take it as an opportunity to share what’s actually going on in your life.

So, this guide will show you 59 ways to say “how are you” in Spanish in many different contexts, as well as 37 ways to answer like a true native. ¿Estás listo?

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How to say “How are you?” in Spanish

As usual, we’ll start with the basics so you can hit the ground running. The table below includes some of the most standard ways to ask someone how they’re doing in Spanish.

You can consider them neutral, as in neither too formal nor too casual, so feel free to use them with friends, family, teachers, and colleagues alike!

English	Spanish	IPA	Pronunciation
How are you?	¿Cómo estás?	ˈkomo ɛsˈtas ‖	ko-mo ehs-tahs
Hi, how are you?	Hola, ¿cómo estás?	ˈola | ˈkomo ɛsˈtas ‖	oh-la koh-mo ehs-tahs
Hi, how are you? (plural)	Hola, ¿Cómo están?	ˈola | ˈkomo ɛsˈtãn ‖	oh-la koh-mo ehs-tahn
How are you?	¿Qué tal?	ˈke ˈtal ‖	keh tal
How’s it going?	¿Cómo te va?	ˈkomo te ˈβa ‖	ko-mo teh va
How’ve you been?	¿Cómo has estado?	ˈkomo ˈas ɛsˈtaðo ‖	ko-mo ahs ehs-ta-doe
What’s new?	¿Qué hay de nuevo?	ˈke ˈai̯ ðe ˈnweβo ‖	keh ay deh noo-eh-vo
How’s everything	¿Cómo va todo?	ˈkomo ˈβa ˈtoðo ‖	ko-mo va to-doe
How’ve you been?	¿Cómo te ha ido?	ˈkomo te ˈa ˈiðo ‖	ko-mo teh ah e-doe
What have you been up to?	¿Qué has hecho?	ˈke ˈas ˈeʧo ‖	keh ahs eh-cho
How are you today?	¿Cómo estás hoy?	ˈkomo ɛsˈtas ˈoi̯ ‖	ko-mo es-tas oy
How are you feeling?	¿Cómo te sientes?	ˈkomo te ˈsjɛ̃ntes ‖	ko-mo teh see-ehn-tehs

“How are you?” in Spanish in formal situations

If you’re dealing with an important client or have a meeting with the company CEO, you’ll want to stick to more formal ways of saying “Hello are how are you” in Spanish.

You’ll also want to use formal phrases when meeting your partner’s family for the first time, especially with their parents!

English	Spanish	IPA	Pronunciation
How are you? (singular formal)	¿Cómo está usted?	ˈkomo ɛsˈta u̯sˈtɛð ‖	ko-mo ehs-ta oos-ted
How are you? (singular formal)	¿Cómo está?	ˈkomo ɛsˈta ‖	ko-mo es-ta
How do you do?	¿Cómo le va?	ˈkomo le ˈβa ‖	ko-mo leh va
How have you been? (singular formal)	¿Cómo ha estado?	ˈkomo ˈa ɛsˈtaðo ‖	ko-mo ah ehs-ta-doe
How have you done?	¿Cómo le ha ido?	ˈkomo le ˈa ˈiðo ‖	ko-mo leh ah-e-doe
And you, how are you?	Y usted, ¿cómo está?	j usˈtɛð | ˈkomo ɛsˈta ‖	e oos-ted ko-mo es-ta
And you, how’s it going?	Y usted, ¿qué tal?	j usˈtɛð | ˈke ˈtal ‖	e oos-ted keh tal
How are you?	¿Cómo se encuentra?	ˈkomo sɛ ɛ̃nˈkwɛ̃ntɾa ‖	ko-mo seh ehn-coo-ehn-tra
How are you? (plural formal)	¿Cómo están ustedes?	ˈkomo ɛsˈtan usˈteðes ‖	ko-mo ehs-tan oos-teh-des
And you, how do you do?	Y usted, ¿cómo va?	j usˈtɛð | ˈkomo ˈβa ‖	e oos-ted ko-mo va

“How are you?” in Spanish in informal situations

Whether you’ve taken the plunge and decided to sign yourself up for an immersive Spanish learning program or are simply visiting for a quick vacation, you’ll likely meet many peers with whom you’ll want to have casual conversations.

Below are some casual yet polite ways to ask someone how they’re doing in Spanish.

English	Spanish	IPA	Pronunciation
What can you tell me?	¿Qué me cuentas?	ˈke me ˈkwɛ̃ntas ‖	keh meh coo-ehn-tas
How are things?	¿Cómo van las cosas?	ˈkomo ˈβãn las ˈkosas ‖	ko-mo van las co-sas
What’s new?	¿Qué hay?	ˈke ˈai̯ ‖	keh ay
What’s going on?	¿Qué pasa?	ˈke ˈpasa ‖	keh pa-sa
How are you doing?	¿Cómo andas?	ˈkomo ˈãndas ‖	ko-mo ahn-das
How’s everything?	¿Qué tal todo?	ˈke ˈtal ˈtoðo ‖	keh tal to-doe
Is everything okay?	¿Todo bien?	ˈtoðo ˈβjɛ̃n ‖	to-doe bee-ehn
What can you tell me?	¿Qué cuentas?	ˈke ˈkwɛ̃ntas ‖	keh coo-ehn-tas
How’s life treating you?	¿Cómo te trata la vida?	ˈkomo te ˈtɾata la ˈβiða ‖	ko-mo teh tra-ta la vee-da
What’s happened?	¿Qué hubo?	ˈke ˈuβo ‖	keh oo-bo
What are you doing?	¿Qué haces?	ˈke ˈases ‖	keh ah-ses
What’s new in your life?	¿Qué es de tu vida?	ˈke ˈɛs̬ ðe tu ˈβiða ‖	keh es deh too-vee-da
How are you doing?	¿Cómo vas?	ˈkomo ˈβas ‖	ko-mo vas
How are things going?	¿Cómo va la cosa?	ˈkomo ˈβa la ˈkosa ‖	ko-mo va la ko-sa
What are you telling?	¿Qué te cuentas?	ˈke te ˈkwɛ̃ntas ‖	keh coo-ehn-tas

“How are you?” in Spanish slang

Once you’ve made some close friends, you’ll want to use some fun and ultra-casual Spanish slang when asking your friends how they’re doing. Using local slang will show your friends that you’re really invested in mastering Spanish, and it will also show that you consider them close enough to be super casual and laid-back around them.

English	Spanish	IPA	Pronunciation
What wave?	¿Qué onda?	ˈke ˈõnda ‖	keh on-da
What fart?	¿Qué pedo?	ˈke ˈpeðo ‖	keh peh-doe
What scam?	¿Qué tranza?	ˈke ˈtɾãnsa ‖	keh trahn-za
What mushroom?	¿Qué hongo?	ˈke ˈõnɡo ‖	keh on-go
What show?	¿Qué show?	ˈke ˈsow ‖	keh show
What roll?	¿Qué rollo?	ˈke ˈroʝo ‖	keh ro-yo
What is said?	¿Qué se dice?	ˈke se ˈðise ‖	keh seh dee-seh
What else then?	¿Qué más pues?	ˈke ˈmas ˈpwes ‖	keh mas poo-es
What else friend?	¿Qué más parcero?	ˈke ˈmas paɾˈsɛɾo ‖	keh mas par-seh-ro
What was?	Quiubo	ˈkjuβo	key-oo-bo
What was?	Quiúbole	ˈkjuβole	key-oo-bo-leh
Good or what?	¿Bien o qué?	ˈbjɛn o ˈke ‖	bee-ehn oh keh
What’s going on, uncle?	¿Qué pasa tío?	ˈke ˈpasa ˈtio ‖	keh pa-sa tee-oh
What fart?	¿Qué pex?	ˈke ˈpeks ‖	keh pecks
Good or what?	Bien, ¿o qué?	ˈbjɛ̃n | o ˈke ‖	bee-ehn oh keh
How are you?	¿Cómo estái?	ˈkomo ɛsˈtai̯ ‖	ko-mo ehs-tai
And what of you?	¿Y tú de qué?	i ˈtu ðe ˈke ‖	e too keh
Talk to me	Háblame	ˈaβlame	ah-bla-me
What’s up dude	Qué tal weo	ˈke ˈtal ˈweo	keh tal weh-oh
Sing to me, tiger!	¡Dímelo cantando, tigre!	ˈdimelo kãnˈtãndo | ˈtiɣɾe ‖	dee-ga-meh-lo can-tan-doe
What is what is?	¿Qué es lo que es?	ˈke ˈɛs̬ lo ˈke ˈɛs ‖	keh ehs lo keh ehs
What soup?	¿Qué sopa?	ˈke ˈsopa ‖	keh so-pa

¿Qué hay de nuevo, viejo?

We thought we’d give this timeless way of saying how are you a shout-out. If you enjoy watching cartoons in Spanish (which, by the way, can be a great way to increase your Spanish input!), you may already be familiar with this phrase. One of the most iconic phrases from Bugs Bunny is “what’s up, doc?”, which is translated as ¿Qué hay de nuevo, viejo? in Spanish.

Check out the following video to see the wabbit saying his famous line in Spanish!

How to respond to how are you

Responding to a “Hi how are you?” in Spanish can be as simple as responding with a quick “I’m okay” or as complex as delving into how you’re really doing. For the latter, you’ll want to be comfortable with talking about your feelings and emotions in Spanish so you can give an accurate description of how you’re really feeling.

English	Spanish	IPA	Pronunciation
Very good, and you?	Muy bien, ¿y tú?	mwi ˈβjɛ̃n | i ˈtu ‖	mooy bee-ehn, e too
Very good, thanks.	Muy bien, gracias.	mwi ˈβjɛ̃n | ˈɡɾasjas ‖	mooy bee-ehn, gra-see-as
Excellent, thanks.	Excelente, gracias.	ɛkseˈlɛ̃nte | ˈɡɾasjas ‖	ex-eh-len-teh, gra-see-as
Not very good, and you?	No muy bien, ¿y tú?	ˈno mwi ˈβjɛ̃n | i ˈtu ‖	no mooy bee-ehn, e too
So-so.	Más o menos.	ˈmas o ˈmenos ‖	mas oh meh-nos
Terrible	Pésimo.	ˈpesimo ‖	peh-see-mo
Awful, I think I’m getting sick.	Malísimo, creo que me estoy enfermando.	maˈlisimo | ˈkɾeo ˈke mɛ ɛsˈtoj ɛ̃mfɛɾˈmãndo ‖	ma-lee-see-mo, kreh-oh keh meh es-toy ehn-fer-man-doe
Same old.	Como siempre.	ˈkomo ˈsjɛ̃mpɾe ‖	ko-mo see-em-preh
Tired, but I’m good.	Cansado, pero bien.	kãnˈsaðo | ˈpɛɾo ˈβjɛ̃n ‖	can-sa-doe, pear-oh bee-ehn
I’ve been better.	He estado mejor.	ˈe ɛsˈtaðo meˈxoɾ ‖	eh es-ta-doe meh-hor
Good, thanks to God.	Bien, gracias a Dios.	ˈbjɛ̃n | ˈɡɾasjas a ˈðjos ‖	bee-ehn, gra-see-as ah dee-os
I’ve never been better.	Nunca he estado mejor.	ˈnũnka ˈe ɛsˈtaðo meˈxoɾ ‖	noon-ca eh ehs-ta-doe meh-hor
Can’t complain.	No me puedo quejar.	ˈno me ˈpweðo keˈxaɾ ‖	no meh poo-eh-doe keh-har
I’m deluxe, and you, how’s it going?	De lujo, y tú, ¿qué tal?	de ˈluxo | i ˈtu | ˈke ˈtal ‖	deh loo-ho, e too, keh tal
I’m very happy, and you?	Estoy muy contento, ¿y tú?	ɛsˈtoi̯ mwi kõnˈtɛ̃nto | i ˈtu ‖	es-toy mooy con-tehn-toe, e too
I’m a bit sad, to be honest.	Estoy un poco triste, para ser sincero.	ɛsˈtoj ũm ˈpoko ˈtɾiste | ˈpaɾa ˈsɛɾ sĩnˈsɛɾo ‖	es-toy oon po-co trees-teh, pa-ra ser seen-seh-ro
I’m delighted, thanks.	Estoy encantado, gracias.	ɛsˈtoj ɛ̃nkãnˈtaðo | ˈɡɾasjas ‖	es-toy ehn-can-ta-doe, gra-see-as
We’re good.	Estamos bien.	ɛsˈtamos̬ ˈβjɛ̃n ‖	es-ta-mos bee-ehn
I’m somewhat disappointed.	Estoy algo decepcionado.	ɛsˈtoj ˈalɣo ðesɛpsjoˈnaðo ‖	es-toy al-go deh-sep-see-oh-na-doe
Good, I’m very peaceful.	Bien, estoy muy tranquilo.	ˈbjɛ̃n | ɛsˈtoi̯ mwi tɾãnˈkilo ‖	bee-ehn, es-toy mooy tran-key-lo

How to respond to how are you formally

Again, if you’re meeting with someone in a formal situation, you’ll want to know how to respond to “how are you” in Spanish in a formal setting. Below you’ll find a table with a few proper ways to answer the question and inquire about how they’re doing, as that would be the polite thing to do.

If you asked them how they’re doing first, then just omit the question part of the phrases below.

English	Spanish	IPA	Pronunciation
Very good, thank you so much. And you?	Muy bien, muchas gracias. ¿Y usted?	mwi ˈβjɛ̃n | ˈmuʧas̬ ˈɣɾasjas ‖ j usˈtɛð ‖	mooy bee-ehn, moo-chas gra-see-as. e oos-ted
Very good, thanks for asking. And you?	Muy bien, gracias por preguntar. ¿Y usted?	mwi ˈβjɛ̃n | ˈɡɾasjas poɾ pɾeɣũnˈtaɾ ‖ j usˈtɛð ‖	mooy bee-ehn, gra-see-as pore preh-goon-tar. e oos-ted
Good, that’s very kind of you. And you?	Bien, muy amable. ¿Y usted?	ˈbjɛ̃n | mwj aˈmaβle ‖ j usˈtɛð ‖	bee-ehn, mooy ah-ma-bleh. e oos-ted
Good, thank you, how are you?	Bien, gracias, ¿usted cómo está?	ˈbjɛ̃n | ˈɡɾasjas | usˈtɛð ˈkomo ɛsˈta ‖	bee-ehn, gra-see-as, oos-ted ko-mo es-ta
Good, thank you so much, and you, how do you do?	Bien, muchas gracias, y a usted, ¿cómo le va?	ˈbjɛ̃n | ˈmuʧas̬ ˈɣɾasjas | j a u̯sˈtɛð | ˈkomo le ˈβa ‖	bee-ehn, moo-chas gra-see-as, e ah oos-ted ko-mo leh va

How to respond to how are you informally

If you’re chatting with a casual friend or acquaintance, you may want to use more relaxed ways to say how you’re doing. Most of the phrases below are pretty cheerful, so make sure you’re actually in a great mood when using them!

English	Spanish	IPA	Pronunciation
Super good, and you?	Super bien, ¿y tú?	suˈpɛɾ ˈβjɛ̃n | i ˈtu ‖	soo-per bee-ehn e too
At a hundred (per cent).	Al cien.	al ˈsjɛ̃n ‖	al see-ehn
Wonderful	De maravilla	de maɾaˈβiʝa	deh ma-ra-vee-ya
Of eggs.	De huevos.	de ˈweβos ‖	deh ooh-eh-vos
All good.	Todo bien.	ˈtoðo ˈβjɛ̃n ‖	to-doe bee-ehn
Never better.	Nunca mejor.	ˈnũnka meˈxoɾ ‖	noon-ca meh-hor
I’m good.	Toy bien.	ˈtoi̯ ˈβjɛ̃n ‖	toy bee-ehn
Good, and you?	Chido, ¿y tú?	ˈʧiðo | i ˈtu ‖	chee-doe, e too
All fine.	Todo fino.	ˈtoðo ˈfino ‖	to-doe fee-no
All cool.	Todo bakan.	ˈtoðo ˈβakãn ‖	to-doe ba-kan
All good.	Todo chévere.	ˈtoðo ˈʧeβɛɾe ‖	to-doe che-veh-reh
All smooth.	Todo suave.	ˈtoðo ˈswaβe ‖	to-doe soo-ah-veh

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Foster your friendships and watch your Spanish skills skyrocket

Making and keeping Spanish-speaking friends is one of the most surefire ways to guarantee fluency for life. Even if you could take a million Spanish online classes today, you likely won’t retain much of your fluency if you stop practicing the language. And what better reason to keep up with your Spanish than by practicing with your friends?

Now that you know 59 different ways to ask someone how they’re doing, you have no excuses not to check in on your Spanish-speaking friends! So, even if you haven’t touched base in a few months, this is your sign to shoot them a text and see what they’re up to!

And if you’re looking for even more ways to stay on top of your Spanish skills, make sure to review our Spanish blog. We publish fun and helpful content every month that will help you brush up your vocabulary and even learn some fun cultural tidbits Best of all? Our Spanish articles are always free and available for everyone!