que tal?
Asking How Someone Is
Que tal? is the everyday way to ask "How are you?" or "How is it going?". You can also ask Como estás? (ti) or Como está? (vostede).
How It Works
1. Asking how someone is
- Que tal? or Que tal estás? Friendly and very common.
- Como estás? To one person you call ti.
- Como está? To one person you call vostede.
- Como estades? / Como están? To a group (vós / vostedes).
- Como che vai? A relaxed "How's it going?" for ti. With vostede, say Como lle vai?
2. Answering
- Ben, grazas. (Fine, thanks.)
- Moi ben. (Very well.)
- Estou ben. (I am fine.)
- Regular. or Así así. (So-so.)
- Non moi ben. (Not very well.)
Then return the question: E ti? or E vostede? How you feel right now is a state, so full answers use estar, not ser. See ser vs estar.
3. Asking about a thing
Add a noun to ask how something is or went: Que tal o traballo? (How is work?), Que tal a viaxe? (How was the trip?). Note that viaxe is feminine in Galician.
4. Moi, not moito
Before ben, use moi: moi ben. See moi vs moito.
In Galician you can write just a closing question mark. The opening mark is optional, and you add it only when a long sentence needs it. See question marks.
Examples (6)
- Ola, Brais! Que tal?
Hi, Brais! How are you?
Word by Word: Hello, Brais! What such?
- Como estás? Moi ben, grazas. E ti?
How are you? Very well, thanks. And you?
Word by Word: How are-you? Very well, thanks. And you?
- Bos días, señora Pérez. Como está?
Good morning, Mrs Pérez. How are you?
Word by Word: Good days, lady Pérez. How is-(she/you)?
Como está? speaks to one person you call vostede.
- Que tal a viaxe?
How was the trip?
Word by Word: What such the trip?
Viaxe is feminine in Galician, so it takes a.
- Que tal? Como che vai?
How are things? How's it going?
Word by Word: What such? How to-you goes?
- Estou ben, pero un pouco canso.
I'm fine, but a bit tired.
Word by Word: I-am well, but a little tired.
Common Mistakes
Using ser to say how you feel.
Son moi ben, grazas.Estou moi ben, grazas.How you feel at the moment is a state, so use estar: estou ben, estou moi ben.
Putting moito before ben.
Moito ben, e ti?Moi ben, e ti?Before an adjective or adverb such as ben, use moi. Moito goes with verbs and nouns.
Answering with the Spanish words bien and gracias.
Bien, gracias.Ben, grazas.The Galician words are ben (well) and grazas (thanks).
Related Patterns
- ola / bos días / boas tardes / boas noitesGreetings
Greetings usually come right before Que tal?
Level 1 - ser / estarSer vs. Estar
Answers about how you feel use estar, not ser.
Level 1 - Present of estar
Gives the forms estás, está, estades and están used in the question.
Level 1 - ti / vostedeInformal Ti and Formal Vostede
Decides whether you ask Como estás? or Como está?
Level 1 - moi / moitoMoi vs. Moito
Explains why the answer is moi ben, not moito ben.
Level 1 - grazas / por favor / de nadaPlease and Thank You
Gives grazas for the typical answer Ben, grazas.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
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