How To Respond To Que Tal

In any language, speaking in front of people can be nerve-wracking. Especially when you’re talking about something you love and are passionate about. But it’s that kind of challenge that makes you really grow as a person and a learner. Unfortunately, for some learners, speaking out loud in front of others doesn’t seem to come naturally. A lot of us tend to shy away from speaking even if we know the answer to something or have something important to say. Why is that so? Well, it’s probably because we feel awkward, nervous, or just plain scared – probably all at once! So what do you do when you get asked those dreaded questions in Spanish like “¿Cómo te llamas?” (What’s your name?) or “¿Cuántos años tienes?” (How old are you?). Do not panic! Here are some tips on how to respond when someone asks you que tal

How To Respond To Que Tal?

• “Que tal?” is a very common greeting in Spanish-speaking countries, as it literally translates to “How are you?” There are many ways to respond to this question. If your Spanish is good, you can say “Bien, gracias!” (which means something like “I am well, thanks!”). Or if you prefer to speak in English, you can say “Fine, thank you!” or even the more literal and polite “All right. Thank you.” This response will be appreciated if the person asking the question is not a native speaker of Spanish.
• If your Spanish is not good, but still better than that of the person asking the question, try saying something like: “What do I know about how your day has been so far? But I am doing well and hope you are too.”
• If your Spanish is really bad, you can say “Que tal?” and then try to make a joke out of it. For example, you might say: “I am sorry that I can not speak better Spanish, but I must admit that I am doing well today!”
• If your Spanish is still as bad as ever, you can respond “Que tal?” just by saying “Que tal?” A possible response would be: “Not very good, eh? What about you?” You can also tell the person that you are doing well and ask him/her how he/she is doing.
• If your Spanish is even worse than average, then what should you do? It is not a good idea to make fun of yourself or other people by saying “Que tal?” You could just reply with the words mentioned above.
• If you are feeling shy, then you can just say “Que tal?” and keep quiet. You can say nothing at all if you feel like it.
• If you are having a good time with the person who is asking the question, then you can just say “Que tal?” and start talking about something interesting. Or if you don’t have anything to talk about, then maybe you can ask him/her how he/she is doing.
• In case your Spanish is better than average and the person who is asking the question does not speak English, it is a good idea to ask him/her for his/her name and tell him/her that it was nice meeting him/her today. You could also mention that your Spanish isn’t so good but that by speaking with each other we will improve in English as well as in Spanish!
• If the person who is asking the question does not speak Spanish, then you might want to say “Que tal?” and then answer his/her question in English. For example, if he/she asks you how your day has been so far, you could say: “I am doing well thanks. How about yourself?”
• If the person who is asking the question speaks English, then it is a good idea to reply in English and tell him/her that your Spanish is not very good but that you are trying hard to improve it. Or if you feel like talking about something interesting, maybe tell him/her what it is that interests you right now or ask him/her what he/she likes most about life.

Practice Makes Perfect

1. The most important thing when responding to a question is to have a good grasp of the situation. The key here is to understand the context and situation in which the question was asked.

2. Prepare your response in advance by writing it down, rehearsing it, and even memorizing some of it so that you can avoid making grammatical mistakes.

3. Be prepared for other questions that may be asked in the same situation, such as “why?” or “what helped you out?”

4. Try not to get defensive when someone asks you a question; instead, explain how your action helped others and why it was necessary, or how your action was an example of being helpful rather than unhelpful (for instance: “I couldn’t move my hand so I helped her instead”).

5. When you are asked why you did something, be prepared to have a convincing answer to the question that is truthful and that also shows your gratitude towards the person who asked the question.

6. When someone asks why you did something, respond by saying “because I wanted to help” or “I just wanted to do it.” Do not try to justify yourself with a long, complicated, or complex answer. It is better if your response is simple and straightforward.

7. If you need more time, say so; do not make people wait for an unreasonable amount of time because it will make them think that you are not serious about helping them out when they need it most (for instance: “I am sorry but I don’t have enough time for this right now”).

8. People want to help others out sometimes; however, they may not realize their own limitations in helping another person out. So be honest with them and let them know if you are too busy or too tired to help.

9. If you need more time, say so; do not make people wait for an unreasonable amount of time because it will make them think that you are not serious about helping them out when they need it most (for instance: “I am sorry but I don’t have enough time for this right now”).

10. When someone is asking you a question, be sure to answer the question in the best way possible. This will show your gratitude towards the person who asked you the question, as well as showing that you were capable of answering their question correctly.

Think Of A Time When You Did Feel Good

•     You’re really confused about what to say and you don’t want to ask for help.
• You don’t know the answer to a question and you want to ask for help or clarification.
• You just realized that your Spanish is horrible and you need help understanding the meaning of a sentence.
• You just realized that what you said sounded like it was written by a baby who had never even seen an English dictionary before (I have actually seen this once).
• You realize that you are starting to sound pretty bad and you want to make sure that your Spanish is improving because of all the reasons listed above!
• You remember how good it feels when other people compliment your Spanish, even if they didn’t mean it in the way that you thought they did, but then remember how embarrassing it is when people tell you your English is bad or when they correct your grammar (I have been there too).
• You remember how good it feels when other people compliment your Spanish and you know that they meant it in the way that you thought they did, but then you remember how embarrassing it is when people tell you your English is bad or when they correct your grammar.
• You feel like you really don’t say a lot of Spanish and you want to practice more so that people can understand what you’re saying better.
• The person who is speaking to you looks completely lost and confused but then remembers that this is their first day learning Spanish and asks for help or clarification, which makes them feel a little better about their language skills (I have been there too).
• The person who is speaking to you looks completely lost and confused, but then remembers that this is their first day learning Spanish and asks for help or clarification, which makes them feel a little better about themselves and also makes them much more willing to ask for help or clarification as
• 8. You remember how good it feels when other people compliment your Spanish, even if they didn’t mean it in the way that you thought they did.
• You remember how good it feels when other people compliment your Spanish, even if they didn’t mean it in the way that you thought they did.
•     You remember how good it feels when other people compliment your Spanish, even if they didn’t mean it in the way that you thought they did.

Bottom Line

Que tal? This is often the first phrase that most people learn when starting a new language. It’s so common for people to introduce themselves and their names when learning a new language. You will most likely be asked this question at least once when speaking in Spanish. It’s the perfect way to break the ice and break out of your comfort zone. Never be ashamed to ask for help or to change the subject when you feel uncomfortable. Everyone does this and you don’t have to feel embarrassed about it. Speaking out loud in Spanish and speaking to others in Spanish might feel scary and challenging. But this is what makes it so rewarding once you get over the initial hump.