+ Reply to Thread
Results 1 to 10 of 10

Thread: Que quiera decir-"Que tal?" o "Que va?

 
  1. #1
    New Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Posts
    4
    Rep Power
    0

    Default Que quiera decir-"Que tal?" o "Que va?

    I cannot get a clear understanding of these two greetings. Are they equal?

  2. #2
    New Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Age
    39
    Posts
    5
    Rep Power
    181

    Default Re: Que quiera decir-"Que tal?" o "Que va?

    More or less but I have never heard "Que va" used before although I am sure it might be. Como va is usually used...

  3. #3
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Argentina
    Posts
    14
    Rep Power
    185

    Default Re: Que quiera decir-"Que tal?" o "Que va?

    "Que tal?" and "Que va" can be translated as "how do you doing?". They are informal ways of greeting



  4. #4
    Contributing User
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Posts
    156
    Rep Power
    230

    Default Re: Que quiera decir-"Que tal?" o "Que va?

    In Bogota, frequently greetings are an exchange of a series of questions. When one first encounters this, the tendency is to attempt to answer all of the questions but it is the ritual of the questions that is the greeting.
    Que tal? Como está? Como le va? Que me cuenta? Como le ha ido? Como amaneció? etc. etc.

  5. #5
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Santo Domingo de Heredia, Costa Rica
    Age
    80
    Posts
    219
    Rep Power
    507

    Default Re: Que quiera decir-"Que tal?" o "Que va?

    Penningdcp, you made a very interesting observation. It's difficult for American learners to grasp this concept. In English, if you hear a question, you answer it. If you hear two, you answer two. But not in Spanish. "¿Qué tal? ¿Cómo te va? ¿Qué has hecho?" (and endless variations) is a very common greeting.

    ¿Qué tal? can also mean something along the lines of What do you think? The speaker is asking for an opinion.

    I bought this shirt at the mall yesterday. ¿Qué tal? (What do you think of it? How does it look on me? Did I do the right thing? Do you like it?)

    ¿Qué tal si vamos al cine? (What do you think of the idea of going to see a movie? How would it be if we went to see a film? How about going to the show? Here's an idea, let's go to the movies.)

  6. #6
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Bay Area, California, United States
    Posts
    567
    Rep Power
    1024

    Default Re: Que quiera decir-"Que tal?" o "Que va?

    Actually, maybe it's not so different in English. A common greeting might include several of the following:

    How are you? How's it going? What's new? What have you been up to?

    And in reality it is not usually appropriate to answer at length with details. Most likely one would reply with just " I'm fine" or "not much" and return the question. It's the same ritual that penningdcp mentioned.
    Last edited by mariaklec; 09-01-2009 at 05:04 PM.

  7. #7
    Contributing User
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Posts
    156
    Rep Power
    230

    Default Re: Que quiera decir-"Que tal?" o "Que va?

    One difference I found, in Bogota especially, is that it was usual to respond with a similar set of questions, rather than an answer.

  8. #8
    New Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Posts
    4
    Rep Power
    0

    Default Re: Que quiera decir-"Que tal?" o "Que va?

    Muchas gracias a todos. I am a new user, and am very pleased to encounter a site that can help with all the subtle meanings of a phrase or a word.

  9. #9
    Forum User
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Posts
    56
    Rep Power
    207

    Default Re: Que quiera decir-"Que tal?" o "Que va?

    Solo añadir que Qué va? no se usa como una pregunta.

    Te gustan las salchichas? No, que va, las odio.

  10. #10
    New Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Posts
    4
    Rep Power
    0

    Default Re: Que quiera decir-"Que tal?" o "Que va?

    Tiene razon. You make sense. Yo he encontrado la expresion usado por una exclamation. I have found the expression usually used as an expression, not a question. (En el libro"For Whom The Bell Tolls", by Ernest Hemingway)
    Muchas gracias

+ Reply to Thread

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. 2000 maneras de decir "borracho" en español
    By reminder in forum Spanish Language Topics
    Replies: 17
    Last Post: 03-17-2017, 12:30 PM
  2. "Me tiró el fardo" ¿Qué quiere decir?
    By PIM in forum Spanish Language Topics
    Replies: 12
    Last Post: 05-23-2014, 10:32 AM
  3. "La culebra se mata por la cabeza" ¿qué quiere decir?
    By PIM in forum Spanish Language Topics
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 07-24-2013, 04:36 PM
  4. "Srta. ¿Me traería un vasito de coca, por favor?" MANERAS DE DECIR "AZAFATA"
    By danielad in forum General Spanish to English Translation
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 06-26-2013, 09:39 AM
  5. Argentinian: ¿qué quiere decir, "y caían los músicos de gira que venían de zapar"?
    By Penn Tomassetti in forum General Spanish to English Translation
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 05-07-2013, 11:36 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •