How in Spanish: Cómo and When to Use It

"How" in Spanish—most of the time it's "cómo," but there are other ways to express it. Here's the complete guide.

The Main Word: Cómo

Cómo (How)

• Meaning: How
• Usage: Questions, exclamations
• Example: "¿Cómo estás?" — How are you?

With Accent

• ¿Cómo? — How? (question)
• ¡Cómo! — How! (exclamation)

Common Uses

Questions

• ¿Cómo estás? — How are you?
• ¿Cómo se dice? — How do you say?
• ¿Cómo te llamas? — What's your name? (literally: How do you call yourself?)

Descriptions

• "No sé cómo hacerlo" — I don't know how to do it
• "Así es cómo funciona" — This is how it works

Exclamations

• ¡Cómo me gusta! — How I like it!

Other Ways to Say "How"

Qué tan (How + adjective)

• "¿Qué tan alto eres?" — How tall are you?
• "¿Qué tan difícil es?" — How difficult is it?

De qué manera (In what way)

• "¿De qué manera?" — In what way?/How?

Common Phrases

• ¿Cómo se dice...? — How do you say...?
• ¿Cómo te va? — How's it going?
• No sé cómo — I don't know how

Master "Cómo"

The best way to master "cómo" is through daily practice. Use it in conversations, ask questions, and learn through context. Try Parlai and practice Spanish through real conversations, naturally using "cómo" in context.