Guide · The word

What does kumustahan mean?

Kumustahan is the Filipino word for catching up and checking in on each other: the back-and-forth of “kumusta ka?” between people who care how the other is doing. In English, the closest words are “catching up” or “a check-in”.

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Kumustahan is a bilingual conversation card app: 1,200 questions in English and Filipino across 7 decks, with a short reflection on the back of every card.

Getting to know№ 41

During a busy week, what signs tell you that you are still doing okay?

Kapag busy ang week, anong signs ang nagsasabi sa'yo na okay ka pa naman?

Tap to flipkumustahan

A note

Your signs may be small: sleep, patience, appetite, humor, or the ability to answer messages without dread.

Puwedeng maliit lang yung signs: tulog, pasensya, gana kumain, humor, o kaya mong sumagot ng messages nang hindi mabigat.

Tap to returnkumustahan

In short

The idea

A kumustahan can be short, like two titas meeting at the palengke, or long, like a barkada that hasn’t seen each other since college staying at the table until the restaurant closes. What makes it a kumustahan is that it goes both ways: each person asks, and each person answers.

The trouble is that the first answer is almost always “ayos lang”. It’s polite, it’s easy, and it ends the conversation. A real kumustahan needs a second question, one that is small and specific enough to answer honestly.

That is what the cards above are for. Ask one, answer it yourself too, and let the other person take their time. Anyone can pass a card.

Tips

Ask a second question. The first “kumusta?” gets “ayos lang”; the second one gets the answer.
Make it small and specific: “What made this week heavy?” is easier to answer than “How are you, really?”
Answer your own question too. A kumustahan goes both ways.
Don’t fix, just listen. Most people want to be heard more than advised.

Decks for this

Kumustahan in English

There is no single English word for kumustahan. Depending on the sentence, it translates as catching up, checking in, an exchange of greetings or simply “how-are-yous”. A text that says “kumustahan tayo soon” means “let’s catch up soon.”

The word carries more warmth than “small talk”. Small talk is about the weather; a kumustahan is about the person. Filipinos use it for a quick hello and for the long overdue talk alike.

Where the word comes from

Kumusta comes from the Spanish ¿cómo está?, “how are you?”. Over the centuries it became the everyday Filipino greeting: “Kumusta ka?” means “How are you?”, and “Kumusta?” on its own works as “hello”.

Add the suffix -han and the word becomes something people do together, the way kuwento (story) becomes kuwentuhan (swapping stories), tawa (laugh) becomes tawanan (laughing together) and kanta becomes kantahan (a sing-along). So kumustahan is the asking-each-other, not just the asking.

Kumustahan or kamustahan?

Both spellings are everywhere, but kumusta is the standard one. The Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) has said that “kumusta” remains the official spelling, and that the “kamusta” spelling comes from the way the word sounds when it is said quickly (PhilSTAR L!fe, 2026).

So the standard spelling is kumustahan, and kamustahan is the common informal variant. People search for both, and they mean the same thing.

How to use it in a sentence

A few everyday examples, with what they mean in English:

“Matagal na tayong walang kumustahan.” We haven’t caught up in a long time.
“Kumustahan muna bago tayo mag-meeting.” Let’s check in with each other before the meeting starts.
“Nagkumustahan kami ng mga pinsan ko sa reunion.” My cousins and I caught up at the reunion.
“Kumustahin mo naman si Lola.” Go and ask Lola how she’s doing.
“Pakikumusta mo ako kay Tita.” Say hi to Tita for me.

Why a conversation card app is called Kumustahan

“Kumusta ka?” “Ayos lang.” It’s the most common conversation in the Philippines, and it often says nothing. Kumustahan is a bilingual conversation card app built to get from that first answer to the real one: 1,200 questions in English and Filipino across 7 decks, each with a short reflection on the back.

You pick who’s at the table, choose how deep tonight goes, and pass the phone. Start with the check-in questions, or see how to play.

The questions

Questions for a real kumustahan

Kumustahan is where the app got its name. These are cards for the moment “kumusta ka?” gets the answer “ayos lang” and you want the real one. English and Filipino on every card.

Past “ayos lang”

6 questions

Small questions that are easier to answer honestly than “how are you?”

During a busy week, what signs tell you that you are still doing okay?

Kapag busy ang week, anong signs ang nagsasabi sa'yo na okay ka pa naman?

Back of the card

Your signs may be small: sleep, patience, appetite, humor, or the ability to answer messages without dread.
Puwedeng maliit lang yung signs: tulog, pasensya, gana kumain, humor, o kaya mong sumagot ng messages nang hindi mabigat.
Which part of the day usually feels easiest for you?

Anong part ng araw usually pinaka-madali para sa'yo?

Back of the card

Some people come alive in the morning, some at night, and some during one quiet pocket in between.
May taong buhay na buhay sa umaga, may gabi ang favorite, at may isang tahimik na part lang sa gitna na hinihintay.
Where do you feel like you can finally breathe a little?

Saan mo nararamdaman na parang nakakahinga ka na ulit?

Back of the card

The place does not have to be special to anyone else. If your body softens there, it counts.
Hindi kailangang special sa ibang tao yung lugar. Kung doon ka lumuluwag, counted yun.
How do you usually unwind after a long day?

Paano ka usually nagpapahinga pagkatapos ng mahabang araw?

Back of the card

Everyone has a different way of landing after a full day. It can be quiet, active, social, or very simple.
Iba-iba tayo ng paraan mag-settle after a long day. Puwedeng tahimik, active, may kasama, o simple lang.
What helps you settle down after a full day?

Ano ang nakakatulong sa'yo mag-settle after a full day?

Back of the card

The way you come down from a full day matters. Small rituals can help your mind know it is safe to rest.
Mahalaga rin kung paano ka bumababa from a full day. Kahit maliit na ritual, puwedeng signal na safe nang magpahinga.
Name one small hope that helps you keep going.

Magbanggit ng isang maliit na hope na tumutulong sa'yo magpatuloy.

Back of the card

A small hope can still carry real strength. It may be quiet, but it is not nothing.
May totoong lakas din ang maliit na hope. Tahimik man siya, hindi ibig sabihin wala siyang bigat.

When it’s been a while

6 questions

For the friend you haven’t really talked to in months.

If you and a friend talk less often, what would you want to ask them?

Kung bihira na kayong mag-usap ng friend, ano ang gusto mong itanong sa kanila?

Back of the card

Would you ask now or wait for a quieter time to talk?
Itatanong mo ba ngayon o hihintayin mong mas tahimik ang oras ng usapan?
Choose a short message you could send a friend you have not talked to lately.

Kung hindi mo nakakausap lately ang isang friend, anong maikling message ang ipapadala mo?

Back of the card

The first message does not need to contain the whole catch-up.
Hindi kailangang nasa unang message ang buong kumustahan.
Picture meeting an old friend after a few years. What would you want to do together first?

Isipin na nagkita kayo ng dating friend makalipas ang ilang taon. Ano ang una mong gustong gawin ninyo?

Back of the card

You could begin with the most ordinary thing you used to do together.
Puwedeng magsimula sa pinakasimpleng dati ninyong ginagawa nang magkasama.
What could you and a faraway friend enjoy doing together online?

Kung nasa malayo ang friend mo, ano ang puwede ninyong gawin online na pareho ninyong mae-enjoy?

Back of the card

Choose a little ritual to start it: the same greeting, the same song, or your own idea.
Puwedeng may nakasanayan kayong panimula: parehong bati, parehong kanta, o sarili ninyong ideya.
What kind of message from a friend is easy for you to reply to?

Anong message mula sa friend ang madali mong sagutin?

Back of the card

You could write an example with no names or real chat details.
Puwede kang gumawa ng halimbawa na walang pangalan o detalye ng totoong chat.
How would you like a friend to respond when you are too tired to join a plan?

Kapag sobrang pagod ka para sumama, paano mo gustong mag-react ang friend sa pagtanggi mo?

Back of the card

Missing one plan does not mean you want to stop being invited.
Hindi ibig sabihin na ayaw mo nang yayain kapag hindi ka nakasama minsan.

A little closer

5 questions

For later, when the two of you have time.

After a busy or tiring season, how can people tell that you’ve actually rested?

After ng busy o nakakapagod na season, paano malalaman ng mga tao na nakapagpahinga ka talaga?

Back of the card

Real rest often shows up quietly: more patience, more jokes, clearer thoughts, or simply a softer face.
Madalas tahimik lang makita ang tunay na pahinga: mas mahaba ang pasensya, mas may jokes, mas malinaw mag-isip, o mas maaliwalas lang.
Tell us about a small routine that helps you feel okay when your day feels off.

Ikuwento yung small routine na tumutulong sa'yo maging okay kapag off ang araw mo.

Back of the card

A routine does not have to be impressive to help. Sometimes familiar steps are enough to help you find your footing again.
Hindi kailangang impressive ang routine para makatulong. Minsan sapat na yung familiar na steps para makabalik ka sa okay.
Which kind of rest would help you most this week?

Anong klaseng pahinga ang pinaka-makakatulong sa'yo this week?

Back of the card

Rest is not always sleep. Sometimes it is quiet, help, laughter, less noise, or permission to stop proving.
Hindi laging tulog ang pahinga. Minsan quiet, tulong, tawanan, less noise, o permiso na tumigil muna sa pagpapatunay.
Name one thing that would make next month feel a little lighter.

Magbanggit ng isang bagay na makakatulong para mas gumaan nang konti ang next month.

Back of the card

A lighter month does not have to mean a perfect one. Even one less weight can change how a season feels.
Hindi kailangang perfect ang mas magaan na month. Kahit isang bawas na bigat, iba na ang pakiramdam ng season.
Name one good thing you are quietly hoping for.

Magsabi ng isang good thing na tahimik mong hinihiling lately.

Back of the card

Quiet hopes still deserve room. Saying them gently can remind you that wanting good things is not foolish.
May lugar din ang tahimik na hopes. Kapag nasabi mo sila nang gentle, naaalala mong hindi foolish ang umasa sa mabuti.

What “kumustahan” means

Frequently asked questions

What does kumustahan mean in English?

Kumustahan means catching up or checking in on each other. It comes from kumusta (“how are you”), and the -han ending makes it something people do together, like an exchange of how-are-yous.

Is it kumustahan or kamustahan?

Kumustahan is the standard spelling, because the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino keeps “kumusta” as the official form. Kamustahan is a very common informal spelling, and both mean the same thing.

Where does the word kumusta come from?

From the Spanish “¿cómo está?”, which means “how are you?”. It became the everyday Filipino greeting during the Spanish period.

How do you use kumustahan in a sentence?

“Matagal na tayong walang kumustahan” means “we haven’t caught up in a long time.” “Kumustahan muna” means “let’s check in with each other first.”

What is the Kumustahan app?

Kumustahan is a bilingual conversation card app for iPhone and Android with 1,200 questions in English and Filipino across 7 decks. 420 cards are free, it works offline, and it needs no account.

Bring a better question to the table.

Free on iPhone and Android. 420 cards free, no account, works offline.