ça va très bien
ça va très bien is the French phrase for "I am doing very well."
This phrase is used as a positive response when someone asks you Comment ça va ? (How is it going?) or Ça va ? (Are you doing okay?).
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, ça va très bien translates to "it goes very well". The phrase is built upon the expression ça va, where ça is the subject "it" and va is the third-person singular conjugation of the verb aller (to go).
Which one should you use?
While the shorter expression ça va can mean "I am doing well", adding très bien increases the intensity to "very well".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the third-person singular conjugation of aller (to go) for the subject ça (it).
Did you know?
- The word ça is a linguistic relative of the German word es. It was created as a 'calque', meaning the French word was modeled directly after the German pronoun.
- Depending on the tone and a shrug of the shoulders, the phrase ça va can actually mean that things are merely 'okay' or mediocre, despite its literal positive meaning.
- In many French-speaking regions, responding with ça va très bien can sometimes feel overly enthusiastic or even slightly performative. In casual settings, a simple ça va is often preferred to avoid sounding like you are trying too hard.
Examples in context
- Tout va à merveille, je vous remercie.Everything is going wonderfully, thank you.
- Je me porte à merveille, merci.I am doing wonderfully, thank you.
- Nickel !Perfect
- Je pète la forme !I am bursting with energy
- Merci, ça va très bien.Thank you, I am doing very well.
- Oh, ça va très bien aujourd'hui !Oh, I am doing very well today!
- Ça va très bien, et vous ?I am doing very well, and you?
Example conversation
Emma and Lucas meet at a cafe.
- EmmaSalut Lucas, comment ça va ?Hi Lucas, how are you?
- LucasÇa va très bien, Emma. Et toi ?I am doing very well, Emma. And you?
- EmmaMoi aussi, ça va très bien.Me too, I am doing very well.
- LucasSuper, je suis content pour toi.Great, I am happy for you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, très, va, ça, CC BY-SA 4.0.
