Questions & Answers about Com estàs avui?
Because com means how, estàs means you are, and avui means today. So the structure is actually very close to English:
- Com = how
- estàs = are you / you are
- avui = today
Catalan does not need the subject pronoun tu here, so Com estàs avui? is the natural way to say it.
Catalan, like Spanish, uses two verbs for to be:
- ser → more permanent qualities, identity, origin, profession
- estar → states, conditions, feelings, locations in many cases
When asking about someone’s condition or how they feel, Catalan uses estar:
- Com estàs? = How are you?
- Estic bé. = I’m fine.
By contrast, ets comes from ser, so it would be used for things like:
- Ets català? = Are you Catalan?
- Ets professor? = Are you a teacher?
Catalan often drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.
- estàs clearly means you are (informal singular)
So:
- Com estàs avui? and
- Tu com estàs avui?
are both possible, but the version without tu is more neutral and common. Adding tu can give extra emphasis, contrast, or warmth depending on context.
Com estàs avui? is informal singular. It is used with someone you address as tu.
For a formal singular version, you would usually say:
- Com està avui?
For plural:
- Com esteu avui? = How are you all / How are you? (informal plural, and also often polite plural depending on region)
- Com estan avui? = How are you? (formal plural)
The accent mark in estàs shows where the stress falls: es-TÀS.
Without getting too technical, the written accent helps tell you the word is pronounced with stress on the last syllable. It is also part of the correct spelling, so it should be written:
- estàs ✅
- estas ❌
A simple learner-friendly pronunciation is:
- com → like kom
- estàs → es-TAS / es-TAHS
- avui → roughly uh-BWEE or a-BWEE, depending on accent
So the whole sentence sounds roughly like:
- kom es-TAS uh-BWEE
Pronunciation varies a bit by region, but that approximation is good enough to start.
Putting avui at the end is the most natural default word order here.
- Com estàs avui? = How are you today?
But Catalan can move adverbs around for emphasis:
- Avui, com estàs? = Today, how are you?
- Com avui estàs? is not the normal way to say it.
So for everyday speech, Com estàs avui? is the safest and most natural choice.
Yes. In fact, Com estàs? is the basic expression.
- Com estàs? = How are you?
- Com estàs avui? = How are you today?
Adding avui makes it more specific, often suggesting you are asking about the person’s condition right now, possibly compared with another day.
Some common answers are:
- Estic bé. = I’m fine.
- Molt bé. = Very well.
- Estic malament. = I’m not well / I’m doing badly.
- Així així. = So-so.
- Estic cansat / cansada. = I’m tired.
- cansat if the speaker is male
- cansada if the speaker is female
A very natural exchange is:
- Com estàs avui?
- Estic bé, gràcies. I tu? = I’m fine, thanks. And you?
Yes, but it is slightly different in tone.
- Com estàs avui? = a direct How are you today?
- Què tal avui? = more like How’s it going today? or How are things today?
Què tal? is very common and casual. Com estàs? sounds a bit more directly focused on the person’s state or feelings.
Yes, it is standard and widely understood across Catalan-speaking areas.
You may hear pronunciation differences or small regional preferences, but this sentence is normal standard Catalan. In Valencian, for example, the same sentence is also perfectly understandable and standard.
Very often, yes, especially in questions like this:
- Com estàs? = How are you?
- Com et dius? = What’s your name? literally How are you called?
- Com funciona? = How does it work?
But like how in English, its exact use depends on context. In this sentence, it clearly means how.
You can, but it sounds marked or emphatic. Normally, you would say:
- Com estàs avui?
If you add tu at the end, it can sound like:
- contrasting with someone else
- adding emphasis
- reacting emotionally
For example:
- Jo estic bé, però com estàs avui tu? = I’m fine, but how are you today?
So it is possible, just not the neutral default.