In this post, you’ll learn how to answer to HOW ARE YOU in Portuguese. There are several ways to respond to HOW ARE YOU in Portuguese, so you don’t always have to repeat the same answer (Estou bem).
I will speak about positive, neutral and negative answers, as well as a bonus one 🙂
Ready to find out?
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Most common way to answer to HOW ARE YOU in Portuguese
Olá! Como estás?
Estou bem, obrigada. E tu?
This is one of the easiest and most common ways of answering the question “How are you?”.
However, it can become a little bit repetitive always saying the same thing… However, it can become a little bit repetitive always saying the same thing…
See? 🙂
It might be fun to know other ways to surprise your family, friends, teachers, and so on…
Therefore, let’s learn some other ways to answer this question!
Positive answers to HOW ARE YOU in Portuguese
When you are well, you can play with the word “very”.
You can say things like:
1 – Muito bem / Very well
2 – Muitíssimo bem / Really, really well
3 – Muito feliz / Very happy
4 – Muitíssimo feliz / Really, really happy
And so on…
In more informal conversations, you can substitute “very” for “super:
5 – Super bem / Super well
6 – Super feliz / Super happy
But don’t say “superzinho”, because that doesn’t exist. Hehe
If you are in positive mindset, you can also say:
7 – Tudo bem! / Everything good!
8 – Tá Tudo! / All good!
Tá tudo comes from “Está tudo bem” and it is used in more informal contexts, with friends.
9 – Tudo ótimo! / Everything great!
Or, more informally:
10 – Tudo a andar! / Everything is going!
Or VERY informally:
11 – Tudo na boa! / Everything good!
Neutral answers to HOW ARE YOU in Portuguese
Now, if you are not very well… if you are only so so, you can say:
12 – Mais ou menos / So so
But there are other ways of answering.
You can answer:
13 – Estou ok! / I’m ok!
Or:
14 – Estou benzinho. / I’m ok-ish.
You can also say:
15 – Vai-se andando… / Things are going…
This means that things are going. They could be on a hold, and that would be worse. But they keep going…
Hello! How are you? Ok-ish? So so? All good? I hope so!
I just wanted to say that if you are thinking of leaving this post, don’t!
I have some more alternatives as answers to the question AND I have a bonus answer at the end of the post, if you want to flirt with the person that asks you how you are.
So, please stay with me until the end and since you are here (thank you!), don’t forget to leave a comment below.
16 – Cá vamos… / Here we go…
17 – Cá estamos… / Here we are…
Sometimes, this is also used when we want to say that everything is so so. Other times, it is also used when everything is ok, but the Portuguese like to tone down things and, sometimes, they answer as if things are not very well, when in fact they are.
If things are kind of not too good and not too bad.
18 – Nem bem, nem mal (antes pelo contrário). / Not good, not bad (quite the opposite).
This is a joke, because you can’t have the contrary of well and bad at the same time.
If everything is going very well, but you don’t want to show off too much, you can say:
19 – Não me posso queixar! / I can’t complain!
This answer also can be used when things are not very well, that’s why I included it here. It will depend a lot on the tone of your voice… If you say “Não me posso queixar!” (happy) that’s because you don’t really want to show your happiness. On the other hand, if you say “Não me posso queixar!” (sad), it means that things are not really well.
When it is like this, sometimes we add “há quem esteja pior” (“there are people who have it worse”), at the end. This is a very Portuguese thing to do. We like to complain, but not really complaining.
If nothing has changed, since the last time you saw the person, you can answer:
20 – It’s all the same.
This is also an excellent way to evade the subject, if you don’t want to give a more concrete answer.
Negative answers to HOW ARE YOU in Portuguese
If things are not so good, you can say:
21 – Não muito bem, infelizmente. / Not very well, unfortunately.
Normally, the tone of your voice goes along with your mood.
Flirtatious answer to HOW ARE YOU in Portuguese
Finally, here comes the bonus answer. If you want to flirt with the person that asks you how you are, you can answer:
22 – Agora estou melhor… tu chegaste! / Now I am better… you arrived!
And you? How are you? Let me know in the comments below!
And, by the way, if you want to see some other cool phrases in Portuguese, go to this post here. Or this one is also great! 🙂
Beijinhos,
Mia