How to Say “Hello How You Doing” in French

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Salut, ça va ?
The English phrase "hello how you doing" is translated into French as Salut, ça va ?
Salut, ça va ? is an informal greeting used to ask someone how they are. You can use the component Salut to say "Hi" or "Hey", and ça va to ask how someone is doing. Other ways to greet people include Bonjour for "Hello" or "Good day", and Bonsoir for "Good evening". If you are parting ways, you might say Bonne journée to mean "Have a good day".

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase is composed of Salut, which means "hi" or "bye" and ça va, which literally translates to "it goes" or "it is going".

Which one should you use?

Salut, ça va ? is the informal way to ask how someone is. In contrast, the formal version used with strangers or superiors is Bonjour, comment allez-vous ?

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

Salut, ça va ? is informal and should be used with friends, family or peers rather than in a professional or formal setting. For formal situations, use titles such as Monsieur (Mr.), Madame (Mrs./Ms.), or Mademoiselle (Miss).

How does it change in a sentence?

The component ça va is versatile. It functions as both a question, "How are you?" and an answer, "I am fine" or "It is going well" (as in Ça va.).

When do people say it?

A common and natural way to respond to the question Ça va ? is to say Ça va, et toi ?, which means "It's going and you?"

Did you know?

  • Depending on the intonation, ça va can be a question, a statement of well-being, or even a way to tell someone to stop behaving badly.
  • The word salut comes from the Latin word for 'health' or 'salvation', which is why the same root is used in the English word 'salute'.

Examples in context

  • Bonjour, comment allez-vous?
    Hello, how are you?
  • Bonsoir, comment ça va ce soir?
    Good evening, how are you tonight?
  • Salut, ça va?
    Hi, how are you?
  • Coucou, comment ça va aujourd'hui?
    Hey there, how are you today?
  • Comment ça va aujourd'hui?
    How are you today?
  • Salut, ça va ? Tu as passé une bonne journée ?
    Hello, how are you doing? Did you have a good day?
  • Salut, ça va ? On va prendre un café ?
    Hello, how are you doing? Shall we grab a coffee?

Example conversation

Lucas and Emma meet at a cafe.

  1. Lucas

    Salut, ça va ?
    Hi, how you doing?
  2. Emma

    Ça va très bien, merci. Et toi ?
    I'm doing very well, thanks. And you?
  3. Lucas

    Ça va, je suis juste un peu fatigué.
    I'm okay, I'm just a bit tired.
  4. Emma

    Je comprends, c'est une longue semaine !
    I understand, it's been a long week!

Sources

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Larry Edward
Larry EdwardHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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