Como Esta Or Como Estas

Qué Tal vs Cómo Estás: What's the Difference?

Qué tal vs cómo estás is one of the kickoff debates new Spanish learners engage in. That'southward considering these two everyday Spanish phrases are and so common.

But, what'south the departure between qué tal and cómo estás? Are they the same? Or practise they only exist to torment new learners of the language similar yourself?

Today, I'm explaining the subtle differences betwixt these ii greeting questions and how native speakers use them and answer them.

Qué Tal vs Cómo Estás

If y'all've been learning Castilian for at least a picayune bit, you lot surely have seen these two questions beingness used on a daily basis. ¿Qué tal? and ¿Cómo estás? are both common Castilian greetings and chat starters.

So, what exactly do they hateful and what are the differences between them?

Retrieve about greeting questions in English, such every bit "what's upward?", "how are yous doing?", or merely "how are yous?", and y'all'll get an idea not but of the meaning of these Castilian phrases, but also about the difficulty in differentiating ane from some other.

Qué tal

Starting time of all, what does que tal hateful?

This question in Spanish specifically asks nearly "how are you?", "how's it going?", or "how are things?".

Information technology can exist understood equally a short version of a longer question such as ¿qué tal estás?, ¿qué tal está usted?, or even ¿qué tal cómo estás?.

I know that last question but creates more confusion, mixing both qué tal and cómo estás. But, I call up that the similarity with English will assistance you to understand how these questions work.

Remember about a situation where y'all may accept greeted your friend like this: "What'southward up! How are you?", and you'll understand how you can do the same in Spanish with qué tal and cómo estás.

Is Qué tal Formal or Informal?

If we were going to create a spectrum of formality and informality in Spanish greetings, qué tal would be slightly formal, yet without getting anywhere close to the extreme of formality.

Yous could say that qué tal is a bit more formal than cómo estás, and if y'all add the usted at the end of the phrase, then that formality grows considerably.

You besides have to consider which part of the Spanish-speaking globe yous're using this greeting question in. Because, although it'southward non rare to hear in Latin America, it's definitely more than mutual to hear qué tal in Kingdom of spain, where it'southward the most common way of addressing someone, without any hint of formality at all.

How to Reply to ¿Qué tal?

When someone asks you ¿qué tal? in Castilian, you can respond like you ordinarily would to "what's upwardly?" or "how are you?" question in English:

skillful – bien
bad – mal
more or less – más o menos

Permit's see some more than mutual answers to the greeting question of ¿qué tal?:

Muy bien, gracias.
Very good, cheers.

Más o menos, estoy un poco triste.
More or less, I'm a bit deplorable.

Regular.
So-so.

No muy bien, las cosas no van muy bien.
Not likewise good, things aren't going so well.

How to Respond to ¿Qué tal? image example

Grammer Specifics of Qué Tal

Allow's now explore the specific grammar rules surrounding the Spanish greeting question, ¿qué tal?

Take a await at the post-obit formulas to use with qué tal:

Qué tal + Substantive

To brand your greeting more specific, ask about the other person's mean solar day, work, or family afterwards the phrase qué tal.

¿Qué tal tu día?
How's your day?

¿Qué tal tu trabajo?
How'southward your chore?

¿Qué tal tu familia?
How'south your family?

¿Qué tal tu fin de semana?
How was your weekend?

Qué tal + Verb

You tin can too use qué tal before a verb to ask near how something is going or how information technology went.

¿Qué tal estás?
How are you?

¿Qué tal suena?
How does it audio?

¿Qué tal se ve?
How does it look?

¿Qué tal te va?
How's information technology going?

Cómo estás

¿Cómo estás? is maybe the almost mutual greeting question in Spanish, and later on hola (hi), the most used Castilian greeting. It literally translates as "how are you lot?", but it implies many other things.

Sometimes it isn't even used every bit a proper question, but only as some other style to say hi.

Formal or Informal?

In our imaginary spectrum of greeting formality, cómo estás is definitely more informal than qué tal. That's because the conjugation of the verb estar (to be) is in the second-person singular in its breezy course: tú.

However, if you compare cómo estás vs cómo está, so you lot have a different situation.

Because cómo está really conjugates the verb estar in the second-person singular merely in its formal form: usted.

In the case of cómo está, I'd have to say that information technology's amongst the nigh formal greetings in Spanish.

In conclusion, cómo estás is fairly informal; while cómo está is one of the most formal greetings possible.

How to Reply to Cómo Estás

The well-nigh common cómo estás response is unremarkably bien, gracias or "fine, thank you," every bit (both in English language and Spanish) about people aren't actually interested in your real state of affairs. It's but a common courtesy used to greet the other person.

The near common answers to the cómo estás question are the same equally those for qué tal. Bien, mal, and más o menos, with all the different variants that those situations let.

Muy bien gracias, ¿y tú?
Fine, thank you, and yous?

Todo bien, gracias.
All good, give thanks you.

No muy bien que digamos.
Non too good to exist honest.

Grammar Specifics of Cómo Estás

Utilize cómo estás to talk to people you know, like family unit and close friends. Remember that there are many other Spanish phrases to express exactly the same sentiment, such equally:

¿Cómo vas?
How are you lot doing?

¿Qué onda?
What's up?

¿Qué me cuentas?
What'south new?

¿Qué hay de nuevo?
What'southward new?

Grammar Specifics of Cómo Estás image example

Learn How to Use Greeting Questions Today

Greeting questions such as qué tal vs cómo estás are staples of everyday Spanish conversations. Mastering them is a certain sign that your Spanish is progressing in the correct direction.

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Luis F. Domínguez is a freelance writer and independent journalist interested in travel, languages, art, books, history, philosophy, politics and sports. He has written for Fodor'due south, Yahoo!, Sports Illustrated, Telemundo, and Villa Experience, amongst other brands of print and digital media in Europe and Due north America.