Other ways of saying ‘How are you?’ in Spanish

Hello, traveller!

Everything OK? Tutto bene?

Today on the blog, we’re going to look at other ways of saying “How are you?” in Spanish.

When you start learning a language, you pick up a greeting or two to get the conversation going. In my case, it was the classic: ‘How are you doing?’

But when I traveled to the UK and started meeting people, I heard other greetings that you don’t always learn in class, but only when you’re actually there. My friends would introduce me to other people and say: Hey there! How’s it going?

So today I want to help you expand your vocabulary, and I’m going to teach you some other ways to say hello in Spanish.

If you’re visiting friends in Spain and they’re going to introduce you to other people in a relaxed, informal setting, you’re bound to hear some of these words.

Here are some typical greetings that we native speakers use.

CASUAL (AND BRIEF) GREETINGS

1- ¿Qué tal?

This is probably the most common way to say hello. It’s used between people who know each other and bump into one another on the street or somewhere else. There’s no need to give a detailed reply. It’s a polite gesture, and it’s enough to reply with “Bien, gracias ¿Y tú?”.

2- ¿Todo bien? – Are you all right?

Just like the phrase “qué tal”, it is used as a greeting and does not require a long reply.

3- ¿Qué pasa? – What’s up?

This is a very informal expression. It’s only used when people are very close. And, just like with ‘¿qué tal?’, we don’t expect the other person to reply. It’s used as a greeting.

– For example: Two young people from a group of friends: Hey, ¿qué pasa tío/tía?

* “tío/tía” is a colloquial way of saying “guy” or “girl”.

4- ¿Cómo andas? – How are you doing?

It is another informal way of saying hello and is used among friends and acquaintances. As with the previous expressions, a short reply is sufficient.

WORDS THAT CALL FOR A LONGER REPLY

5- ¿Cómo va todo? ¿Cómo te va? – How are things? How are you getting on?

It’s something you say to friends and shows an interest in how they’re getting on. This form does expect a reply, and afterwards you can ask them about what’s new in their life, their family, and so on.

6- ¿Qué es de tu vida? – What’s been happening in your life?

You use this when you bump into someone you haven’t seen for a long time. It’s a way of striking up a conversation with them. You want to find out what’s been going on in their life since you last saw each other.

7- ¿Qué te cuentas? – What’s up?

It’s a way of saying to a friend, “Tell me what’s been going on – has anything happened in your life?”

NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

In Spain, the usual way to greet someone when you are introduced to them is with two kisses on the cheek, starting with the right (unlike in Italy, where you start with the left)

For slightly more formal greetings, or if you prefer to keep your distance, you can shake hands. Both options are acceptable, and you can choose whichever you prefer.

¿Qué tal? Have you decided which new phrase you’re going to use on your next trip?

¡Hasta la próxima!

Nuria de Libera tu español