Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Boa tarde! Está bem?

Boa tarde! Está bem?

Good afternoon! Are you well?

Breakdown of Boa tarde! Está bem?

estar

to be (temporary / location)

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Questions & Answers about Boa tarde! Está bem?

Why is it Boa tarde and not Bom tarde?

In Portuguese, adjectives must match the gender of the noun they describe. The word for afternoon (tarde) is feminine, so it must be paired with the feminine word for good (boa) instead of the masculine (bom).

Why does the sentence use Está instead of É to say "Are"?

Both words mean "is" or "are", but they come from different verbs. Está comes from estar, which is used for temporary states like feelings, health, or location. Because how you feel right now is temporary, we use está. É comes from ser, which is used for permanent characteristics like identity or nationality.

Who is Está referring to if there is no word for "you" in the sentence?

In Portuguese, the verb itself usually tells you who is doing the action, so pronouns are often left out. Está is technically the "he/she/it" form, but it is also the form used for você (the formal "you"). Asking Está bem? without a pronoun is a standard, polite way to ask a person "Are you well?".

Could I say Está bom instead of Está bem?

Not when asking how someone is doing! Bem means "well" (an adverb) and describes how you are feeling. Bom means "good" (an adjective) and describes the quality of a person or a thing. Just like in English, you ask if someone is doing well, so you must use bem.