phrase
qué tal
kay TAL
Qué tal (phrase) means a Spanish greeting meaning 'how are you?' or 'how's it going?'. Example: “Qué tal — how was the flight?”
phrase
1
A Spanish greeting meaning 'how are you?' or 'how's it going?'
"Qué tal — how was the flight?"
"She waved and called out a quick qué tal."
2
Used before a noun to ask how something was or what someone thinks of it: 'how about…?' or 'how was…?'
"Qué tal la película — worth watching?"
How to use qué tal
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSpanish for 'how are you?'
When to use it
Informal to neutral — safer with a stranger than qué pasa, but still not formal. Written ¿qué tal? in full Spanish punctuation.
Memory tip
Qué tal is the most flexible of the Spanish greetings: it can stand alone, or take a noun (qué tal el trabajo?) or a verb (qué tal dormiste?).
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
Common pairings
qué tal estás
qué tal todo
hola, qué tal
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Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
_____ — how was the flight?
Etymology
Spanish qué 'what' plus tal 'such, so', literally something like 'what such?'
Synonyms
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how are you
how's it going
what's up
how was
how about
what about
Related words
Rhymes for qué tal
See all rhymes for qué tal →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between qué tal and cómo estás?
Cómo estás is a direct question about your state of health or mood and expects a real answer. Qué tal is looser and more like 'how's things?' — it can greet a person or ask about a thing, as in qué tal el hotel?
How do you answer qué tal?
Bien, gracias ('fine, thanks'), todo bien ('all good') or muy bien, ¿y tú? ('very well, and you?'). Returning the question is expected.
What is the meaning of qué tal?
"qué tal" (phrase) means a Spanish greeting meaning 'how are you?' or 'how's it going?'.
What is another word for qué tal?
Other words for "qué tal" include how are you, how's it going, what's up, how was, how about, what about.
