salut comment ça va
salut comment ça va is the French way to say hello how are.
This phrase is a casual greeting used in everyday social interactions to ask someone how they are doing.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally translated, the phrase means "hi how that goes". It is composed of salut (hi), comment (how) and ça va (that goes/it's going).
Which one should you use?
While salut comment ça va is casual, you should use bonjour comment allez-vous if you want to be more formal or polite.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase is informal. The component salut is an informal way to say hello that is suitable for friends and family. For formal situations, you should use Bonjour to say hello, which can be used at any time from morning until evening.
How does it change in a sentence?
The part ça va uses the pronoun ça (that/it) and the verb va (goes) to ask about a person's state of being.
When do people say it?
When someone greets you with this phrase, a common response is ça va bien, merci (It's going well, thanks).
Did you know?
- The word salut shares an ancient root with the English word 'whole', as it originally meant a wish for someone's 'whole' or complete well-being.
- In a casual conversation, the phrase ça va can function as both the question and the answer. A person might ask ça va? and the other simply replies ça va.
- While salut is used to say 'hi', it can also be used as a way to say 'bye' when leaving a group of friends.
Example conversation
Hugo and Emma meet at a cafe.
- HugoSalut comment ça va, Emma ?Hi, how are you doing, Emma?
- EmmaÇa va très bien, et toi ?I'm doing very well, and you?
- HugoÇa va super, merci !I'm doing great, thanks!
- EmmaJe suis contente de t'entendre.I am glad to hear that.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries comment, salut, va, ça, CC BY-SA 4.0.
