Spanish 1 / Unit 1: Greetings and Introductions
1.4 How Are You?
Notes
Ask how someone is and answer with a short phrase.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Cómo estás? | How are you? (informal) |
| ¿Cómo está usted? | How are you? (formal) |
| ¿Qué tal? | How's it going? |
| Muy bien | Very well |
| Bien, gracias | Fine, thanks |
| Más o menos | So-so |
| Regular | Okay, so-so |
| Mal | Bad, not well |
| ¿Y tú? / ¿Y usted? | And you? |
- Gracias means thank you; reply with de nada (you're welcome).
- Example: — ¿Cómo estás? — Muy bien, gracias. ¿Y tú? — Más o menos.
Practice
What does "Más o menos" mean?
Literally "more or less," it means so-so.
Which question would you use to ask your principal how he is?
Use the formal usted form with adults you respect, like a principal.
Read: "—¿Qué tal, Pedro? —Mal. Tengo un examen hoy." How is Pedro?
Mal means bad or not well.
Ready for more? Take the Unit 1 test.