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How to Say ‘How have you been?’ in Portuguese

Como têm estado?

KOH-moo TEH-ehm EHS-tah-doo

[KOH-moo TEH-ehm EHS-tah-doo]

💬 Usage Tip: Como têm estado? uses ter estado for "have you been," which sounds natural for checking in after some time. Notice têm with a tilde: in European Portuguese, unstressed vowels get reduced hard, so it won't sound like careful textbook pronunciation.

Phrase Breakdown

Como

[KOH-moo]

How

Used to ask about the manner or condition of something.

Example

Perguntei-lhes como têm estado desde a última visita.

I asked them how they've been since the last visit.

Têm estado?

TEH-ehm EHS-tah-doo

Words in this phrase

têm

[TEH-ehm]

have

Used to indicate possession or an ongoing action.

Example

Eles têm estado ocupados com o trabalho.

They have been busy with work.

estado

[EHS-tah-doo]

been

Indicates being in a state or condition.

Example

Nós temos estado ocupados.

We have been busy.

Guides for Portuguese learners

The Portuguese You Actually Need in Your First Month in PortugalThe European Portuguese phrases for your first weeks in Portugal: paperwork, renting a flat, the bank, the health centre, cafés, trains and your new neighbours.

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