bien et toi
The English phrase 'good you' is translated into French as bien et toi.
This phrase is used as a response to a greeting to indicate that the speaker is doing well and to ask how the other person is doing.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of bien (well), et (and) and toi (you).
Which one should you use?
While bien et toi is the informal version, you should use bien et vous when you are speaking to a stranger, a superior or a group of people.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
bien et toi is an informal form that is appropriate for friends, family or peers. For formal situations, use bien et vous.
How does it change in a sentence?
In spoken French, bien et toi is often used as a complete sentence in response to Comment ça va ? or Ça va ?
Did you know?
- In some regions of France, people might use Ça gaze ? as an extremely slangy alternative to Ça va ?, to which bien et toi remains a standard reply.
- In France, a response of bien et toi is often accompanied by a 'la bise', the custom of kissing both cheeks of the other person.
- The word bien is a cognate of the English word 'benign', as both stem from the Latin 'bene' meaning 'well'.
Examples in context
- Tu as vraiment bien joué au concert hier soir !You played really well during last night's concert!
- Je vais bien et toi ?I am doing well, and you?
- Ça va bien et toi ?Everything is good, and you?
- Très bien et toi ?Very well, and you?
Example conversation
Emma and Nathan meet at a local cafe.
- EmmaSalut Nathan, ça va ?Hi Nathan, how are you?
- NathanÇa va bien et toi, Emma ?I'm doing well, and you, Emma?
- EmmaÇa va super, merci.I'm doing great, thanks.
- NathanSuper, tu veux un café ?Great, do you want a coffee?
