How do you answer if someone asks you, "¿Cómo estás?" or "How are you?"? The standard answer is probably "Bien" ("Fine") or "Muy bien" ("Very good"). Of course, both of those responses are often expanded: "Muy bien, gracias. ¿Y tú?" ("Quite well, thank you. And you?").
But if you want to spice up your life the tiniest bit, there are other answers you can give that would be understood everywher.
Possible Responses to "¿Cómo Estás?"
Bastante bien. Good enough.
¡Buenísimo! Great!
Mal. Bad.
Malísimo. Terrible.
Igual que siempre. Same as always.
Regular. Same as usual.
Así, así. So-so.
And, of course, there are phrases you may hear in certain areas. This includes: Feliz como un lombriz, which literally means "happy as an earthworm" but is the rough equivalent of the colloquial English saying "happy as a clam." (Are earthworms and clams capable of being happy?)
Of course, "¿Cómo estas?" is just one way you can greet people. And if you're meeting someone for the first time, learning how to introduce yourself can also come in handy.
