Salut, ça va ?
casual
To greet a friend in French, say Salut, ça va ? It means "hi, how are you?" and is the most natural choice among friends. It is also called Salut, comment vas-tu ? and Coucou, ça va ?
Meaning: friendly greeting asking about well-being (phrase)
Ways to say it
| French | Note |
|---|---|
| Salut, ça va ? | casual |
| Salut, comment vas-tu ? | friendly |
| Coucou, ça va ? | very casual |
The usual answer is Ça va, et toi ? or Oui, ça va bien.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Coucou is very affectionate and used with close friends and family. Comment vas-tu ? is a little more careful. With strangers you would use Bonjour, comment allez-vous ?
How does it change in a sentence?
Friends use tu and toi. Vous is for people you do not know well.
Did you know?
- The question Ça va ? is often both the question and the answer, and a reply of Ça va is enough.
Examples in context
- Salut Paul, ça va ?Hi Paul, how are you?
- Coucou, ça va ? Ça fait longtemps !Hey, how are you? It has been a while!
- Salut, comment vas-tu ?Hi, how are you doing?
Example conversation
Clara runs into her friend Nicolas outside a cafe in Bordeaux.
- ClaraSalut Nicolas, ça va ?Hi Nicolas, how are you?
- NicolasÇa va bien, et toi ?I am fine, and you?
- ClaraSuper ! Ça fait plaisir de te voir.Great! Nice to see you.
