vs
QUICK ANSWER
"Qué tal" is a form of "qué tal", a phrase which is often translated as "how is". "Oye" is a form of "oír", a transitive verb which is often translated as "to hear". Learn more about the difference between "qué tal" and "oye" below.
qué tal(
keh
tahl
)A phrase is a group of words commonly used together (e.g., once upon a time).
a. how is (singular) (present)
A word or phrase that is singular (e.g., el gato).
¿Qué tal el negocio familiar? Escuché que tienen problemas económicos.How is the family business? I heard you're having financial problems.
¿Qué tal tu madre? - Se encuentra mejor, pero debe guardar cama.How's your mother? - She's feeling better, but she needs to stay in bed.
b. how was (singular) (past)
A word or phrase that is singular (e.g., el gato).
¿Qué tal tu día? - Estuve muy ocupado con cosas del trabajo.How was your day? - I was very busy with work.
e. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
¿Qué tal el examen? - Bien, creo que aprobaré.How did the exam go? - Well, I think I'll pass.
Ayer fui a ver la última película de James Bond. - ¿Y qué tal?I went to see the last James Bond movie yesterday? - And how was it?
a. how about
¿Qué tal si dejamos de quejarnos y comenzamos a resolver los problemas nosotros mismos?How about we stop whining and start solving the problems by ourselves?
b. what if
Nuestro partido necesita más apoyo. - ¿Qué tal si nos aliamos a los conservadores?Our party needs more support. - What if we form a coalition with the conservatives?
a. oh, please
No haces mucho en la casa. - ¡Qué tal! Yo soy el que limpia todos los días.You don't do much around the house. - Oh, please! I'm the one who cleans up every day.
oír(
oh
-
eer
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
a. to hear
Las paredes son tan finas que oigo a los vecinos hablar.The walls are so thin I can hear the neighbors talking.
a. to hear
Me quejé a mucha gente, pero nadie quiso oírme.I complained to many people, but nobody wanted to hear me.
a. to get (colloquial)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
“No lo vuelvas a hacer, ¿me oyes?” dijo el maestro."Don't do it again, got it?" said the teacher.
oírse
A pronominal verb always uses a reflexive pronoun. (e.g., Te ves cansado.).
A reciprocal verb is a verb that indicates that two or more subjects perform an action on each other (e.g., Ellos se abrazan.).
a. to hear each other
Fue una llamada muy frustrante porque no nos oíamos nada.It was a very frustrating call because we couldn't hear each other at all.
