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Illustration for “How are you?”

Spanish dialogue with translation · A1 · 12 lines

¿Qué tal estás? How are you?

Comic · 11 panels

Panel 1 of 11 for “How are you?”: “Hi, Carlos. How are you?”
  1. Lucía

    Hola, Carlos. ¿Qué tal estás?

    Hi, Carlos. How are you?

Panel 2 of 11 for “How are you?”: “Well, so-so. I'm pretty tired and I have too much work (man speaking).”
  1. Carlos

    Pues regular. Estoy bastante cansado y tengo demasiado trabajo.

    Well, so-so. I'm pretty tired and I have too much work (man speaking).

Panel 3 of 11 for “How are you?”: “What a shame. Do you have a problem at the office?”
  1. Lucía

    Qué pena. ¿Tienes un problema en la oficina?

    What a shame. Do you have a problem at the office?

Panel 4 of 11 for “How are you?”: “Yes, my boss is angry and I'm a little nervous (man speaking).”
  1. Carlos

    Sí, mi jefe está enfadado y yo estoy un poco nervioso.

    Yes, my boss is angry and I'm a little nervous (man speaking).

Panel 5 of 11 for “How are you?”: “Relax! Maybe it's not important. (to a man)”
  1. Lucía

    ¡Tranquilo! Quizás no es importante.

    Relax! Maybe it's not important. (to a man)

Panel 6 of 11 for “How are you?”: “Could be, you're right. And you? How do you feel?”
  1. Carlos

    Puede ser, tienes razón. ¿Y tú? ¿Cómo te sientes?

    Could be, you're right. And you? How do you feel?

Panel 7 of 11 for “How are you?”: “Very happy. I have some news: my sister is going to have a baby! (woman speaking)”
  1. Lucía

    Muy contenta. Tengo una noticia: ¡mi hermana va a tener un bebé!

    Very happy. I have some news: my sister is going to have a baby! (woman speaking)

Panel 8 of 11 for “How are you?”: “How nice! Congratulations!” “Thanks. She's very happy, but also a little worried.”
  1. Carlos

    ¡Qué bien! ¡Enhorabuena!

    How nice! Congratulations!

  2. Lucía

    Gracias. Está muy feliz, pero también un poco preocupada.

    Thanks. She's very happy, but also a little worried.

Panel 9 of 11 for “How are you?”: “I think all parents are nervous.”
  1. Carlos

    Creo que todos los padres están nerviosos.

    I think all parents are nervous.

Panel 10 of 11 for “How are you?”: “Yes, that's true. Well, it's late already. See you later.”
  1. Lucía

    Sí, es verdad. Bueno, ya es tarde. Hasta luego.

    Yes, that's true. Well, it's late already. See you later.

Panel 11 of 11 for “How are you?”: “OK. Good luck to your sister!”
  1. Carlos

    De acuerdo. ¡Mucha suerte para tu hermana!

    OK. Good luck to your sister!

Grammar for this text

How are you: estar. ¿Qué tal estás? — "how are you?". Your mood and how you feel right now go with estar: Estoy bastante cansado, mi jefe está enfadado, yo estoy un poco nervioso, Está muy feliz. The adjective agrees with the person: Carlos is cansado, Lucía's sister is preocupada, and in todos los padres están nerviosos it's plural.

Muy contenta, ¡Tranquilo! Lucía answers about herself: Muy contenta ends in -a, and the verb estoy is left out. ¡Tranquilo! ("Relax!") ends in -o because she's talking to a man.

How much: bastante, un poco, muy, demasiado. bastante cansado — "pretty tired", un poco nervioso — "a little nervous", muy feliz — "very happy". Before a noun, demasiado means "too much": demasiado trabajo — "too much work".

Opinions and doubt. Creo que todos los padres están nerviosos — "I think (that)…". Quizás no es importante — "maybe it's not important". Puede ser — "could be". tienes razón — "you're right", word for word "you have reason". es verdad — "that's true". De acuerdo — "OK, agreed".

¿Cómo te sientes? "How do you feel?": the verb sentirse. English just says "feel"; Spanish adds te (yourself). The stem changes e → ie.

va a tener un bebé. ir a + infinitive is for something that's going to happen, just like English "going to": "she's going to have a baby".

Words and grammar of the unit: Make small talk.

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