Spanish · Greetings & Essentials
"How?" in Spanish: ¿cómo?
¿cómo?
How in Spanish is ¿cómo? (KOH-moh). Accent the ó: cómo. ¿Cómo estás? greets; ¿cómo? alone asks how or pardon.
Didn't catch a word
¿Cómo? No te oí.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce ¿cómo?
Say it
KOH-moh
/ˈkomo/
KOH-moh. Stress KOH. Mark the accent on cómo.
"How?" in Spanish: quick reference
| Spanish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| ¿cómo? | how? / pardon? Manner, or didn't catch something. | Manner, or didn't catch something. |
| ¿cómo estás? | how are you? Everyday greeting. | Everyday greeting. |
| ¿cómo se hace? | how do you do it? Asking for a method. | Asking for a method. |
| ¿cómo te fue? | how did it go? After an event. | After an event. |
How to use ¿cómo? in real life
- 1Didn't catch a word
¿Cómo? No te oí.
Pardon? I didn't hear you.
Soft ¿cómo? asks for a repeat.
- 2Cooking help
¿Cómo preparas el arroz?
How do you make the rice?
Cómo asks for the method.
- 3After an interview
¿Cómo te fue en la entrevista?
How did the interview go?
Cómo te fue checks results.
Mistakes English speakers make with ¿cómo?
Incorrect: Como estás? (missing accent)
Correct: ¿Cómo estás?
Question cómo needs the accent. Como without it means like/as.
Incorrect: How se dice esto?
Correct: ¿Cómo se dice esto?
Use cómo, not English how.
Good to know
Cómo as a soft pardon is common and friendly. Raise your eyebrows, not your volume. Some places prefer mande instead of cómo.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Learning a recipe
ChatPal
¿Cómo quieres el café?
How do you want the coffee?
You
Con leche. ¿Cómo lo preparas tú?
With milk. How do you make it?
ChatPal
Simple. ¿Cómo suena un café con leche?
Simple. How does a latte sound?
You
Perfecto. Gracias.
Perfect. Thanks.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"How?" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "How?" in Spanish
Why accent cómo?
Cómo asks how. Como without accent means like or as.
Is ¿cómo? rude for pardon?
Usually fine. Soft tone keeps ¿cómo? polite.
Cómo or qué for what?
Qué asks what. Cómo asks how.
How are you formally?
¿Cómo está usted?
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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