What is the difference between "Como estas" and Como estás"

Question

What is the difference between Como estas and Como estás with an accent??? Does it mean something else???

Answer 1

Cómo estás is:

"how" + the informal conjugated form of estar; the unshortened phrase is ¿Cómo estás tú? Note the accent in "cómo¨ which is placed due to this being a question.

"How are you?"

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Como estas is:

"how/like" + "these" ... followed by a feminine plural object. (Likewise for example, como este would be "how this" followed by a masculine singular noun.)

So this would be part of a larger sentence typically.

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Also, with the accent like so:

como éstas <-------- "how/like" + "these", same as above, except éstas with the accent is a pronoun and stands in for the object

Answer 2

First of all, I'd like to say that it'd be better if you write the whole sentences, just to get the context.

However, I'll try to translate them both literally:

1. Como éstas => like these ones

   Ex: Yo también tengo unas zapatillas como éstas.

2. Como éstas => eat these ones

   Ex: Tú te comes esas patatas, yo me como éstas.

3. ¿Cómo estás? => How are you? (You have to write the graphic accent since it's a question)

4. Como estas => like these

   Ex: Tus pulseras son tan bonicas como estas diademas.