Spanish Phrase
Quería saber cómo va.
Meaning
Literally, "I wanted to know how it is going." It is a polite way to ask about the status, progress, or condition of a project, plan, or situation.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to check on the progress of something without sounding too abrupt—e.g., in a work meeting, when following up on a friend's trip, or when you’re curious about how a new habit is developing.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Queríasabercómova
Imperfect of querer
"Quería" is the imperfect form of "querer" and is used to express a polite or past desire, similar to "I wanted to" in English.
Infinitive after querer
When "querer" is followed by another verb, the second verb stays in its infinitive form (e.g., "saber").
Interrogative "cómo"
"Cómo" with an accent introduces an indirect question and means "how"; it never loses the accent even in indirect questions.
Verb "ir" in third person
"Va" is the third‑person singular present of "ir" and here refers to the state or progress of something.
🗨In Conversation
Quería saber cómo va el informe que estás preparando.
I wanted to know how the report you’re preparing is going.
Ya tengo la primera sección lista y espero terminar el borrador mañana.
I already have the first section ready and I expect to finish the draft tomorrow.
✕Common Mistakes
Quería saber como va.
Missing the accent changes the meaning to "as"; the correct interrogative form is "cómo" with an accent.
Queria saber cómo va.
Without the accent on the "i", it becomes a misspelling; the correct form is "Quería".
Quería saber cómo vaya.
Using "vaya" would turn the clause into a subjunctive, which is not needed here.
↔Alternatives
Me gustaría saber cómo va.
I would like to know how it is going.
Quisiera saber cómo va.
I would like to know how it is going.
Quiero saber cómo va.
I want to know how it is going.
Cultural Tip
In Spanish‑speaking cultures, indirect questions like "cómo va" are preferred in professional settings because they soften the request. Adding "por favor" or a friendly smile can make the tone even more courteous. Note that "cómo va" can also be used informally as a greeting equivalent to "How's it going?" among friends.