Questions with Como (How)

Como is the Portuguese equivalent of English how, but its reach is broader. Where English splits the concept into how (manner, state, means) and what (identification, "What's your name?"), Portuguese uses como for almost all of it — manner, means, state, description, identification, and even as a one-word request for repetition ("Sorry?"). This makes como one of the first question words you learn in PT-PT and one you will use dozens of times a day.

This page covers the full range: greeting formulas (Como estás?), the como é que... question frame, como? as a stand-alone interjection, and the subtler PT-PT vs English mismatches in how como and what divide the work.

Como estás? — the everyday greeting

The first sentence most learners of Portuguese meet is a como question. Como estás? is the informal "How are you?" — the default greeting between friends, family, colleagues you are on friendly terms with, and strangers in casual contexts.

Notice the split between tu-form (estás) and você/polite form (está). In PT-PT, tu is the neutral, friendly choice for adults speaking to friends, peers, and children; você or a title (o senhor, o doutor, a professora) takes a third-person singular verb (está). This is the opposite of Brazilian usage, where você has become the neutral form.

The full greeting toolkit

Como estás? is just the start. Portuguese has a rich set of como greetings graded by register and closeness.

Como te chamas? — asking someone's name

Here is where Portuguese and English split cleanly. English uses what — "What is your name?" Portuguese uses como — literally "How are you called?"

The verb is chamar-se — the reflexive "to call oneself." Tu chamas-te, ele chama-se, eles chamam-se. Asking someone's name this way is standard across all registers and is not paraphraseable as Que é o teu nome? — that sounds wrong in PT-PT.

Como se diz...? — asking for a word or expression

The como se diz frame is essential for language learners. It is the direct way to ask "How do you say...?"

The se here is the impersonal pronoun — it is not referring to any specific person, just "one" or "you" in the generic sense. You will meet this again in como se faz (how one does), como se chega (how one gets), etc.

Como é que... — the reinforcement pattern

This is where PT-PT takes on its own distinctive rhythm. Speakers routinely reinforce a como question with é que — literally "is (it) that." The literal translation sounds redundant in English, but in PT-PT it is the default conversational shape of most wh-questions.

You can always drop é que and the question remains grammatical (Como chegaste aqui?). The é que version, though, is what PT-PT speakers use in about half or more of their real wh-questions. It softens the question, adds rhythm, and — importantly — makes the word order easier because you do not have to invert subject and verb.

Como? — as a stand-alone "Sorry? / What?"

This is the usage that catches Brazilian speakers off-guard. In PT-PT, the polite way to say "Sorry, I didn't catch that" or "What did you say?" is a single word: Como?

In Brazilian Portuguese, Quê? (with the accent) or Como? are both common in this function. In European Portuguese, Como? is the neutral, polite form, and Quê? (though it exists) is blunter — sometimes verging on rude depending on tone and context. If in doubt, say Como?

Como — asking about manner, means, and description

Manner — in what way

Means — by what tool or method

State — in what condition

Description — what is it like

Note the English split: we say What is she like? for personality and How is she? for health. Portuguese uses como é for description and como está for current state, keeping como in both.

Como vs Qual — a common confusion

Because como te chamas maps to what is your name, learners often overextend and use como where qual is needed. The rule of thumb:

• Como asks "in what manner" — open-ended, descriptive.
• Qual asks "which one (of a set)" — selective, often identifying.

See Qual / Quais for a full treatment.

Como in exclamations

Como can also open an exclamation, meaning "how..." in the exclamatory sense — surprise, admiration, or intensity.

The question mark gives way to the exclamation mark, and the word order stays the same.

Common mistakes

Key takeaways

• Como covers manner, means, state, description, and — uniquely for English speakers — identification in como te chamas ("what's your name").
• Como está(s)? is the standard greeting, with tu and você forms choosing the verb ending.
• Como se diz / escreve / pronuncia / faz is the essential learner frame for asking about language and procedure.
• The é que reinforcement — Como é que...? — is the conversational default in PT-PT and a key marker of native rhythm.
• Como? alone is the polite PT-PT way to ask for repetition. Prefer it to Quê? unless you are being deliberately curt.
• Como and qual split based on whether you want a description (como) or a specific identifier (qual).
• Como can open exclamations (Como ele cresceu! — "How he has grown!") as well as questions.