cómo
“cómo” means “how” in Spanish. It has 4 different meanings depending on context:
how
📝 In Action
¿Cómo estás?
A1How are you?
¿Cómo se dice 'apple' en español?
A1How do you say 'apple' in Spanish?
No sé cómo funciona.
A2I don't know how it works.
what
Also: pardon, sorry
📝 In Action
- Pásame la cosa esa. - ¿Cómo?
A2- Pass me that thingamajig. - What? / Pardon?
¿Cómo que no vienes a la fiesta?
B1What do you mean you're not coming to the party?
how
Also: so much
📝 In Action
¡Cómo llueve!
B1It's raining so much! (Literally: How it's raining!)
¡Cómo has crecido!
B1Look how you've grown!
¡No tienes idea de cómo te he extrañado!
B2You have no idea how much I've missed you!
the how
Also: the way
📝 In Action
Lo importante no es el qué, sino el cómo.
C1The important thing isn't the what, but the how.
El director explicó el cómo del nuevo proyecto.
C1The director explained the how (the methodology) of the new project.
🔀 Commonly Confused With
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: cómo
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'cómo' to express surprise or ask 'what do you mean'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin word 'quōmodo', which literally meant 'in what way?' or 'by what means?'. Over time, it simplified in Spanish to 'cómo'.
First recorded: Around the 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the single most important thing to remember about 'cómo' vs 'como'?
The accent mark! If you are asking a question (directly or indirectly) or making an exclamation about 'how' something is, use 'cómo' with an accent. If you are making a comparison ('as fast as') or giving a reason ('since...'), use 'como' without an accent.
Is it rude to say '¿Qué?' instead of '¿Cómo?' when I don't hear someone?
It's not necessarily rude, but '¿Cómo?' is often considered a bit softer and more polite, especially with people you don't know well. In very informal situations with friends, '¿Qué?' is perfectly fine. Using '¿Cómo?' is a safe and polite default.