How to Say 'How Are You' in Spanish (15+ Ways)

The most common way to say “how are you” in Spanish is ¿Cómo estás? (informal) or ¿Cómo está usted? (formal). Both come from the verb estar (to be), and the only difference is how well you know the person — you use estás with friends, family, and people your age, and está usted with strangers, elders, or anyone you want to show respect to.

That covers 90% of situations. But Spanish is rich with warmer, more casual, and regionally flavored ways to ask the same thing, and knowing a few will instantly make you sound less like a textbook. Here’s the full toolkit.

The Two Essentials: Formal vs. Informal

Spanish splits “you” into an informal tú and a formal usted, and your greeting follows suit.

Situation	Say this	Meaning
Friend, sibling, kid, peer	¿Cómo estás?	How are you? (informal)
Stranger, elder, boss, client	¿Cómo está usted?	How are you? (formal)
A group of people	¿Cómo están?	How are you all?

A quick tip on the accent: estás (with the accent on the á) is “you are.” Drop the accent and estas means “these” — so the tilde carries real meaning, just like in ¿Cómo estás?

In Mexico, people are generally warm and polite, so when in doubt with someone older or in a shop, lean formal with ¿Cómo está usted? — it’s never wrong to be respectful.

The Casual Favorites

Beyond the textbook version, these are what you’ll actually hear on the street. They’re all informal and friendly.

• ¿Qué tal? — “How’s it going?” Ultra-common, works in almost any casual setting, and can also mean “what’s up.”
• ¿Cómo te va? — “How’s it going for you?” / “How are things?” A lovely, natural everyday option.
• ¿Qué onda? — “What’s up?” This is very Mexican. Onda literally means “wave,” and this phrase is the Mexican equivalent of “what’s up, dude?” Use it with friends.
• ¿Qué pasó? — Literally “what happened?” but used as a casual greeting in Mexico, roughly “hey, what’s up?”
• ¿Qué haces? — “What are you doing?” / “Whatcha up to?”
• ¿Cómo andas? — “How are you getting on?” A bit more colloquial and warm.

If you want to sound like you actually live in Mexico, ¿Qué onda? is your golden phrase. Pair it with a name — ¿Qué onda, güey? (what’s up, dude?) — and you’re speaking real chilango Spanish.

Warmer and Regional Variations

Once the basics feel comfortable, these add personality and show you’re paying attention to the person in front of you.

• ¿Cómo has estado? — “How have you been?” Perfect when you haven’t seen someone in a while.
• ¿Todo bien? — “Everything good?” A quick, friendly check-in.
• ¿Cómo va todo? — “How’s everything going?”
• ¿Qué me cuentas? — “What’s new with you?” / “What can you tell me?” This one invites a real answer rather than a reflexive “fine.”
• ¿Cómo amaneciste? — literally “how did you wake up?”, a warm morning greeting common in Mexico, roughly “how are you this morning?”

That last one, ¿Cómo amaneciste?, is a small detail that instantly signals you know Mexican Spanish — it’s the kind of phrase a tía (aunt) uses over breakfast. Layering these in, rather than repeating ¿Cómo estás? every single time, is exactly what makes your Spanish feel alive rather than memorized. Even switching between ¿Qué tal? in the morning and ¿Cómo va todo? in the afternoon shows a comfort with the language that native speakers pick up on right away.

How to Answer “How Are You”

Getting asked is only half of it — you need a reply. Here are natural answers, from great to not-so-great.

Spanish	English
Muy bien, gracias.	Very well, thanks.
Bien, ¿y tú?	Good, and you?
Todo bien.	All good.
Aquí, tranquilo.	Just here, chilling / relaxed.
Más o menos.	So-so.
Ahí voy.	Getting by / hanging in there.
La verdad, un poco cansado/a.	Honestly, a bit tired.

Two Mexican gems worth adopting:

• Todo chido — “All cool / all good.” Chido is Mexican slang for cool.
• Ahí la llevo — literally “I’m carrying it there,” meaning “I’m getting by.”

Always remember to bounce the question back with ¿y tú? (and you?) or ¿y usted? in formal settings. Not returning the question can come across as a little cold.

Putting It Together: A Real Exchange

Here’s how a friendly Mexican greeting actually flows:

— ¡Hola! ¿Qué onda? ¿Cómo estás? (Hi! What’s up? How are you?) — Todo bien, gracias. ¿Y tú? (All good, thanks. And you?) — Muy bien también. (Very well too.)

And a more formal version, say, walking into a shop:

— Buenos días. ¿Cómo está usted? (Good morning. How are you?) — Bien, gracias. ¿En qué le puedo ayudar? (Well, thanks. How can I help you?)

Notice how usted pulls the whole exchange into a respectful register. In shops, with taxi drivers, or meeting someone’s grandmother, this is the safe, courteous choice.

A Note on Pronunciation

• ¿Cómo estás? → KOH-moh ess-TAHSS
• ¿Qué tal? → keh TAHL
• ¿Qué onda? → keh OHN-dah

The upside-down question mark ¿ at the start isn’t optional in writing — Spanish opens every question with it. In speech, just let your voice rise at the end like you would in English.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using cómo estás when you mean cómo eres. Estar is for temporary states (how you’re feeling right now), while ser is for permanent traits. “How are you?” as a greeting is always estar. Asking ¿Cómo eres? means “What are you like?” as a person — a totally different question.

Forgetting the register. Calling your new boss tú with ¿Cómo estás? on day one can feel over-familiar in formal Mexican settings. When unsure, start with usted and let them invite you to tú.

Dropping the accent. Estás needs its accent. Without it, you’ve written “these.”

Answering and not asking back. A quick ¿y tú? keeps the conversation warm and moving.

FAQ

What is the most common way to say “how are you” in Spanish?

¿Cómo estás? is the most common informal version, and ¿Cómo está usted? is the formal one. In casual Mexican speech, ¿Qué tal? and ¿Qué onda? are also everywhere. All are correct — you just match the formality to the person.

Is it “cómo estás” or “cómo eres” for “how are you”?

Use ¿Cómo estás? with estar. It asks how you’re feeling or doing right now. ¿Cómo eres? uses ser and asks what you’re like as a person (your personality or appearance), which is a different question entirely.

What does “¿Qué onda?” mean?

¿Qué onda? is Mexican slang for “what’s up?” or “how’s it going?” Onda literally means “wave,” and the phrase is friendly and very casual. Use it with friends and peers, not with your boss or an elder.

How do I answer “¿Cómo estás?”

The safe, natural answer is Bien, gracias. ¿Y tú? (Good, thanks. And you?). For something warmer and more Mexican, try Todo chido (all cool) or Ahí la llevo (getting by). Always toss the question back with ¿y tú? or ¿y usted?.

Should I use “tú” or “usted” in Mexico?

Use usted (formal) with strangers, elders, service workers, and in professional settings — Mexicans value politeness. Use tú (informal) with friends, family, kids, and peers. When in doubt, start formal; it’s never rude to be respectful.

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Reading greetings is easy; saying them smoothly under pressure is the hard part. Sofia, an AI Spanish teacher, lets you rehearse real Mexican-Spanish small talk out loud — greeting, answering, and bouncing the question back — until ¿Qué onda? and Todo bien, gracias roll off your tongue naturally.