25 Ways To Say "How You Doing" In Spanish: The Ultimate Guide To Formal, Informal, And Country-Specific Slang (Updated 2025)

Are you tired of sounding like a textbook? The phrase "How are you doing" is one of the most fundamental social greetings, yet relying only on ¿Cómo estás? will immediately mark you as a beginner in any Spanish-speaking country. As of December 17, 2025, the language continues to evolve with a vibrant array of slang and regional variations that you must master to sound natural, whether you’re in Buenos Aires, Mexico City, or Madrid.

To truly connect with native speakers, you need to navigate the nuances of formality, context, and geography. This comprehensive guide breaks down the essential greetings, from the most polite formal phrases to the freshest, most colloquial slang used across Latin America and Spain, ensuring you always know the right way to ask, "How you doing?"

The Essential Foundations: Formal, Informal, and General Use

The first step in mastering Spanish greetings is understanding the difference between the formal "you" (usted) and the informal "you" (tú or vos). Using the wrong one can lead to an awkward social interaction, especially in professional or unfamiliar settings. This distinction is paramount in Spanish culture, reflecting respect and social distance.

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The Three Pillars of "How Are You?"

These three phrases are your baseline. They are universally understood, but context determines which one to use:

• 1. ¿Cómo estás? (The Standard Informal)
  This is the classic, go-to phrase. Use it with friends, family, peers, children, or anyone you are on a first-name basis with. It uses the informal pronoun tú.
• 2. ¿Cómo está usted? (The Formal/Respectful)
  This greeting uses the formal pronoun usted. You must use this when addressing elders, supervisors, strangers, business contacts, public officials, or anyone you wish to show deference to. It is the most polite option.
• 3. ¿Qué tal? (The Versatile All-Rounder)
  Meaning "How's it going?" or "What's up?" this is an incredibly popular and versatile informal phrase, especially common in Spain and widely used in Latin American countries. It works in almost any casual setting and is a great alternative to ¿Cómo estás?

Four Common Informal Variations (LSI Keywords)

Once you've mastered the basics, you can expand your vocabulary with these common, slightly more descriptive phrases that function exactly like "How you doing?" in English:

• 4. ¿Cómo te va? (How is it going for you?)
  A very common and friendly way to ask about someone's general well-being.
• 5. ¿Qué pasa? (What's happening?)
  Used exactly like "What's up?" or "What's happening?" in English. It's casual and quick.
• 6. ¿Qué haces? (What are you doing?)
  A literal translation of "What are you doing?" but often used as a greeting, similar to "What's up?" when encountering a friend.
• 7. ¿Cómo andas? (How are you getting along?)
  This phrase literally means "How do you walk?" but is used to ask "How's it going?" It's particularly common in Spain.

Regional Slang: Speaking Like a Local in Latin America and Spain

The true mark of a fluent speaker is their ability to use regionalisms, known as modismos. Spanish is spoken in over 20 countries, and each has its own unique, up-to-date slang for greetings. Integrating these phrases shows cultural awareness and deep respect for the local dialect.

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Mexico: The Land of "Onda" and "Transa"

Mexico has one of the richest vocabularies of informal greetings. To sound like a true Chilango (Mexico City native) or a local across the country, forget ¿Cómo estás? and use these:

• 8. ¿Qué onda? (What wave/vibe?)
  This is arguably the most famous Mexican slang greeting, meaning "What's up?" or "How's it going?" It’s used constantly among friends and peers.
• 9. ¿Qué transa? (What dealings/What's the deal?)
  A very colloquial, slightly rougher version of "What's up?" used in informal settings.
• 10. ¿Qué pedo? (What fart/What's up?)
  This is extremely casual and can be considered vulgar in other countries, but it's a common, friendly "What's up?" among close friends in Mexico. Use with caution.

Argentina and Uruguay: The Voseo and Lunfardo Influence

In the Southern Cone, specifically Argentina and Uruguay, the pronoun vos replaces tú, which changes the verb conjugation. This linguistic feature is called Voseo. Ignoring it is a dead giveaway that you are not familiar with the local dialect.

• 11. ¿Cómo andás? (How are you getting along?)
  This is the vos conjugation of ¿Cómo andas? It's a key phrase for the region.
• 12. ¿Todo tranqui? (All chill/quiet?)
  Short for ¿Todo tranquilo?, this is a very common, laid-back greeting used in Argentina, often preceded by Che (Hey/Man).
• 13. ¿Cómo estuviste? (How have you been?)
  A slightly more reflective phrase, common in Argentina, asking about the time since you last saw the person.

Colombia, Chile, and the Caribbean: Quick and Unique Greetings

Each corner of the Spanish-speaking world offers a unique flavor to the simple greeting. Mastering these phrases will instantly make you sound more authentic to a local ear.

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Colombia

• 14. ¿Qué más? (What else?)
  This is the quintessential Colombian informal greeting, equivalent to "How are you?" or "What's up?" It is one of the most common colloquial expressions in Colombian Spanish.
• 15. ¿Quiubo? (Contraction of ¿Qué hubo? - What was there?)
  A very quick and informal "What's up?" often used in a hurry.

Chile

Chilean Spanish, or Castellano de Chile, is famous for its unique slang, or Chilenismos, and its use of voseo verb endings, which often end in -ai.

• 16. ¿Cómo estai? (How are you?)
  This is the Chilean conjugation of ¿Cómo estás?, a vital piece of Chilean slang.
• 17. ¿Cómo estai weón? (How are you, man?)
  Adding weón (a versatile term similar to "dude" or "man") makes the greeting extremely informal and local.

Puerto Rico

• 18. ¿Qué es la que hay? (What is it that there is?)
  A popular, very casual and friendly Puerto Rican slang phrase for "What's up?"
• 19. ¿Saludos? (Greetings?)
  Often used as a quick, informal "Hello, how are you?" in passing.

Mastering the Responses: More Than Just "Muy Bien"

Answering a greeting is just as important as asking it. Just as you shouldn't only ask ¿Cómo estás?, you should avoid only answering with Muy bien, gracias (Very well, thank you). Here are 6 of the most common and current ways to respond, along with a few more LSI keywords to boost your conversational flow:

• 20. Todo bien. (All good.)
  A simple, positive, and common response to greetings like ¿Qué tal? or ¿Todo bien?
• 21. Más o menos. (More or less.)
  A perfectly acceptable, honest, and neutral response when you are not great, but not terrible.
• 22. Ahí vamos. (There we go/We're getting by.)
  A very common, slightly humble response that suggests things are moving along, but not necessarily perfectly.
• 23. De lujo. (Luxurious/Great.)
  A slang term used to say you are doing excellently.
• 24. No me quejo. (I can't complain.)
  A conversational phrase that is widely used and sounds very natural.
• 25. ¿Y tú/usted? (And you?)
  Crucially, always remember to return the question using the correct pronoun (tú for informal, usted for formal).

By integrating these 25 ways to ask and answer "How you doing?" into your daily conversations, you will move beyond the classroom and into the authentic, dynamic world of modern Spanish. Whether you are navigating a business meeting in Madrid (using ¿Cómo está usted?) or catching up with a friend in Bogotá (using ¿Qué más?), you now have the topical authority to choose the perfect, most up-to-date greeting. This mastery of colloquial Spanish and regional variations is the key to unlocking true fluency and making meaningful connections with native speakers.