A1 Expression Informal 1 min de lectura

Come stai?

How are you?

Practícalo

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Come stai? is the standard, friendly way to ask 'How are you?' in Italian when speaking to someone you know.

  • Means: 'How are you?' (singular, informal).
  • Used in: Casual chats with friends, family, or peers.
  • Don't confuse: Use 'Come sta?' for formal situations (strangers, elders).
👋 (Wave) + ❓ (Question) = Friendly connection

Explicación a tu nivel:

This is a basic question to ask a friend how they are. You use it every day.
A common greeting used in informal contexts. It uses the verb 'stare' to inquire about someone's well-being. It is essential for daily conversation.
An idiomatic expression used to establish rapport. It functions as a phatic communication tool, signaling interest in the interlocutor's state of mind or physical health in casual settings.
This expression exemplifies the informal register in Italian. It demonstrates the use of the verb 'stare' to denote a state of being, contrasting with 'essere' which denotes identity or permanent characteristics.
The phrase functions as a social lubricant. From a sociolinguistic perspective, it marks the transition from formal to informal social distance, requiring the speaker to correctly identify the appropriate register.
Syntactically, it is a simple interrogative clause. Pragmatically, it is a performative utterance that initiates social bonding. Its usage is constrained by the 'tu/lei' dichotomy, reflecting deep-seated cultural norms regarding hierarchy and intimacy.

Significado

Asking about someone's well-being.

🌍

Contexto cultural

Italians often use this phrase even if they saw the person yesterday.

💡

Keep it simple

Don't overthink the grammar.

💡

Keep it simple

Don't overthink the grammar.

Ponte a prueba

Fill in the blank.

Ciao Maria, ______ stai?

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: come

The phrase is 'Come stai'.

🎉 Puntuación: /1

Banco de ejercicios

2 ejercicios
Elige la respuesta correcta Fill Blank

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta:
Fill in the blank. Fill Blank A1

Ciao Maria, ______ stai?

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: come

The phrase is 'Come stai'.

🎉 Puntuación: /2

Preguntas frecuentes

1 preguntas

No, use 'Come sta?'.

Frases relacionadas

🔄

Come va?

synonym

How is it going?

Dónde usarla

👋

Meeting a friend

You: Ciao! Come stai?

Friend: Bene, grazie!

informal

Memorízalo

Mnemotecnia

Think of 'stai' as 'stay'—how are you 'staying' today?

Asociación visual

Imagine a friend standing (stare) in a piazza, and you walk up to ask how they are.

Rhyme

Come stai, my friend, let's go for a chai.

Story

You walk into a cafe. You see your friend Giulia. You wave and say 'Come stai?'. She smiles and says 'Bene!'.

In Other Languages

Similar to 'How are you' in English or 'Como estás' in Spanish.

Word Web

starebenemaleciaograzietucome

Desafío

Ask 3 friends 'Come stai?' today.

Review in 1, 3, 7, and 14 days.

Pronunciación

Stress First syllable

Rhymes with 'my'.

Espectro de formalidad

Formal
Come sta?

Come sta? (General greeting)

Neutral
Come va?

Come va? (General greeting)

Informal
Come stai?

Come stai? (General greeting)

Jerga
Come butta?

Come butta? (General greeting)

From Latin 'stare'.

Medieval:

Dato curioso

It is one of the first phrases taught in Italian classes.

Notas culturales

Italians often use this phrase even if they saw the person yesterday.

“Ci vediamo domani, come stai?”

Inicios de conversación

“

Ask a friend how they are.

Errores comunes

✗

Come stai al professore?

✓

Come sta, professore?

wrong register
You used the informal 'stai' instead of the formal 'sta'.

L1 Interference

0 1

In Other Languages

Spanish Very Similar

¿Cómo estás?

Italian uses 'stare', Spanish uses 'estar'.

French moderate

Comment vas-tu?

French focuses on movement ('going'), Italian on state ('staying').

German Different

Wie geht es dir?

German is impersonal, Italian is personal.

Japanese Different

O-genki desu ka?

Japanese is about health, Italian is about general state.

Arabic moderate

Kayfa haluk?

Arabic is more formal/philosophical.

Chinese Different

Ni hao ma?

Chinese is much simpler grammatically.

Korean Different

Jal jinaesseoyo?

Korean emphasizes the time elapsed.

Portuguese Very Similar

Como estás?

Pronunciation is the main difference.

Spotted in the Real World

🎬

(1997)

“Come stai?”

Greeting his wife.

Fácil de confundir

Come stai? vs Come sta?

Formal vs Informal

Use 'sta' for formal, 'stai' for informal.

Preguntas frecuentes (1)

No, use 'Come sta?'.

usage contexts

Learning Path

Prerequisites

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