What does hola como estas mean in spanish

If you’d like to say “Hello, how are you?” in Spanish, you can use “*Hola, ¿cómo estás?” (informal/singular). If you are greeting someone in a more formal setting, you’ll want to use “Hola, ¿cómo está?” (formal/singular). If you are talking to multiple people, you’d say “Hola, ¿cómo están?*” (informal/plural).

Another version you’ll likely here in conversation is “*Hola, ¿qué tal estás?” (informal/singular) and “Hola, ¿qué tal están?*” (informal/plural).

Learning Spanish can be confusing at the start, but remember that you don’t have to tackle all the options immediately. Even with a common phrase like “Hello, how are you?” getting a handle on one option is going to work pretty well in most circumstances. As you progress on your learning journey, you can slowly incorporate other words with more nuanced meanings.

Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion® methodology teaches you the language, not just the words. What makes it so effective is that we prepare you to use your new language in your everyday life. So it’s not just about the features, but what you’re able to do because of them. That way, you’ll be ready to handle situations with ease and confidence.

With that simple line — it's pronounced "KOH-moh ess-TAHSS" — you can greet almost any Spanish speaker you've met before. Add to that these phrases below, and you'll be well-positioned to make a good first impression wherever you go in Spain or most of Latin America.

Spanish Greetings and Similar Phrases

Phrases in common use can vary with location and sometimes with age or social status. But except where indicated, those listed below can be used appropriately in almost any situation. Pronunciations given are approximate; in all pronunciations below, the "th" is pronounced as in "this," and the "oo" is pronounced as in "boom."

• Hola — Hello, hi — OH-lah — This greeting is suitable in both formal and informal contexts.
• Hola, aló, jaló, bueno, diga — Hello (on the telephone) — OH-lah, ah-LOH, hah-LOH, BUEH-no, DEE-gah — The choice of telephone greeting varies from location to location. Hola would be understood anywhere but is not customary in many places.
• Adiós — Goodbye — ah-THYOHSS — An informal alternative in many areas is chau (pronounced "chow," sometimes spelled ciao, from Italian).
• ¿Cómo estás? ¿Cómo está? — How are you? — KOH-moh es-TAHSS, KOH-moh es-TAH —The first form (which is informal) normally would be used with someone you know on a first-name basis or when speaking with a child. The second form generally would be used in other situations. Usage can depend quite a bit on where you are; in some areas, the informal form (estás) would be expected where under the same circumstances the formal form would be used in other areas. If you're a foreigner, chances are no one will criticize you for using the wrong form, although you may be politely corrected.
• Muy bien, gracias — Very well, thank you — mwee-vyenn GRAHSS-yahss.
• Buenos días — Good day, good morning — BWEH-nohss DEE-ahss — In some areas, a shortened form, buen día, is used.
• Buenas tardes — Good afternoon, good evening — BWEH-nahss TAR-dess — In most areas, buenas tardes should be used in the early evening in preference to buenas noches.
• Buenas noches — Good night — BWEH-nahss NOH-chess — Unlike the English translation, buenas noches can be used as a greeting as well as a farewell.
• ¿Cómo te va? ¿Cómo le va? ¿Qué tal? ¿Qué hay? — How's it going? — KOH-moh teh-VAH, KOH-moh leh-VAH, kay-TALL, kay-AYE — There is also a variety of colloquial alternatives, although many of them depend on the area. The first one given is informal, used as with "¿Cómo estás?" above.
• ¿Qué pasa? — What's happening? — kay PAHSS-ah.
• ¿Qué hubo? ¿Qué onda? — How is it going? What's happening? — kay OO-boh, kay OHN-dah — These phrases are most common in Mexico.
• ¿Cómo te llamas? ¿Cómo se llama usted? — What's your name? — KOH-moh teh YAHM-mahss, KOH-moh seh YAHM-mah oo-STETH — A literal translation would be "What do you call yourself?" or, somewhat less literally, "What are you called?" The first form normally would be used with a child, or possibly with someone of equal social status at an informal occasion. If you're uncertain which form to use, the second one is safer. Also see the explanation with the entry for "¿Cómo estás?" above.
• Me llamo (nombre).— My name is (name). — meh YAHM-moh (NOHM-breh) — A literal translation would be "I call myself (name)" or, somewhat less literally, "I am called (name)." You can also literally translate the English: Mi nombre es (nombre).
• Mucho gusto. Encantado. — It's a pleasure to meet you. — MOO-choh GOO-stoh, en-kahn-TAH-thoh. Either of these could be said when someone introduces him- or herself to you. If you're female, you should say encantada (en-kahn-TAH-thah) instead of encantado.
• Bienvenido, bienvenida, bienvenidos, bienvenidas — Welcome — byem-beh-NEE-thoh, byem-beh-NEE-thah, byem-beh-NEE-thohss, byem-beh-NEE-thahss — Note the difference in number and gender. Bienvenido would be used with a man, bienvenida with a woman, bienvenidas with a group of all females, and bienvenidos with males or a mixed group.

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Erichsen, Gerald. "Spanish Greetings." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/greetings-spanish-3079498 (accessed December 18, 2022).

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