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qué tal

interjectionBeginner

What does “qué tal” mean in English?

  1. how's it going

Example sentences

  • —¿Qué tal? —Muy bien, gracias.

    —How's it going? —Very well, thanks.

  • Hola Pedro, ¿qué tal?

    Hi Pedro, how's it going?

  • ¿Qué tal el examen?

    How was the exam?

How to use it

¿Qué tal? means 'how's it going?' (informal). Lighter than ¿cómo estás?. Used as a casual conversation opener with friends and peers.

Common mistake

¿Qué tal? can take a topic ('qué tal el examen?' = how was the exam?) — broader than ¿cómo estás? which only asks about the person.

Topics

Related Beginner words

Reference

This entry’s teaching guidance follows A New Reference Grammar of Modern Spanish (Butt, Benjamin & Moreira Rodríguez, Routledge), 30.