What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Bonjour, comment ça va ? literally translates to 'Good day, how is it going?'
Which one should you use?
While Bonjour, comment ça va ? is a standard way to ask how someone is, you can use ça va? as a more abbreviated, informal way to ask 'how are you?'
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
There are different levels of formality for this greeting. For a very casual setting among friends, you might use Salut, ça va ? In more formal situations, you should use Bonjour, comment allez-vous?
Is it said differently in some regions?
The formal version Comment allez-vous? is commonly used in France and French-speaking European countries.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form Comment allez-vous ? is the formal or plural version of 'How are you?' used to replace Comment ça va ?
When do people say it?
When someone asks you Comment ça va ?, a standard response is Ça va bien, merci (It's going well, thanks).
Did you know?
- While ça va ? is a question, it is frequently used as its own answer, where ça va simply means 'I am doing fine'.
- In many French-speaking cultures, it is considered more polite to say 'Bonjour' to a shopkeeper or waiter before asking any other question, rather than jumping straight to 'Comment ça va ?'
- The word ça in ça va is a calque of the German word Es, which acts as a neutral pronoun.
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon meet at a cafe.
- HugoBonjour, comment ça va ?Hello, how are you?
- ManonÇa va très bien, merci !I'm doing very well, thank you!
- HugoJe suis content de te voir, Manon.I am happy to see you, Manon.
- ManonMoi aussi, Hugo !Me too, Hugo!
