Tout va bien
The English phrase 'all good' can be translated into French as Tout va bien.
The phrase Tout va bien is used to express that everything is going well or everything is fine. Depending on the context, there are several other ways to say 'all good' in French, such as the relaxed expression Ça roule, the informal tout baigne or the slang c'est nickel to indicate that everything is in perfect order. For a more concise way to say there is nothing to report, you can use the acronym RAS, which stands for Rien à signaler.
Meaning: all good (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Tout va bien literally translates to 'Everything goes well'.
Which one should you use?
Do not use Tout est bon to mean 'everything is fine'. In French, bon usually refers to taste or the correctness of a specific item, whereas bien refers to a state of being or well-being.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
While Tout va bien is a standard way to express the sentiment, Ça va is a more common, informal way to say 'all good' or 'it's fine' in daily conversation. For very relaxed situations, you might use Ça roule or tout baigne or the slang c'est nickel.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the opposite of 'all good', you can replace bien with mal to say Tout va mal, meaning 'everything is going badly'.
Did you know?
- The slang C'est nickel comes from the metal nickel. Because the metal is shiny and clean, the word evolved to describe something that is in perfect order or 'all good'.
- The expression Tout baigne literally translates to 'everything is bathing'. It is a highly informal way to say that everything is going swimmingly or is perfectly fine.
- The verb va in the phrase comes from the Latin 'vādō', which is the ancestor of the English word 'evade'.
Examples in context
- La réunion s'est bien passée, tout va bien maintenant.The meeting went well, everything is fine now.
- Merci de vérifier ce rapport. Tout est bon de notre côté.Thank you for reviewing this report. Everything is good on our end.
- On se retrouve au café à 14h ? Ça roule !Shall we meet at the café at 2 pm? All good!
- T'inquiète pas, tout baigne pour moi en ce moment.Don't worry, everything is all good for me right now.
- Le dîner est prêt, c'est nickel !Dinner is ready, all good!
- Le vol s'est déroulé sans problème, RAS.The flight went smoothly, all good.
- Tout va bien pour le moment.Everything is all good for the moment.
- Ne t'inquiète pas, tout va bien.Don't worry, everything is all good.
- Est-ce que tout va bien ici ?Is everything all good here?
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are checking on their new apartment.
- LucasLéa, est-ce que tout va bien dans la cuisine ?Léa, is everything all good in the kitchen?
- LéaOui, tout va bien, merci.Yes, everything is all good, thank you.
- LucasParfait, l'installation se passe bien.Perfect, the move-in is going well.
- LéaC'est vrai, on est très bien installés.It's true, we are very well settled.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, tout, va, CC BY-SA 4.0.
