salut maman, comment vas-tu ?
In French, 'hi mom, how are you?' is expressed as salut maman, comment vas-tu ?
This phrase is an informal greeting used to say hello to one's mother and inquire about her well-being. Other ways to express this include using Salut, Maman, ça va? or Coucou, Maman, comment ça va?
Which one should you use?
While comment vas-tu ? is the informal way to ask how someone is, you might encounter comment allez-vous ?, which is the formal or plural version of 'how are you?' Using the latter would be too distant for a typical greeting to one's mother.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form salut maman, comment vas-tu ? is informal. You can also use Salut, Maman, ça va? or Coucou maman, ça va ? for an informal tone. The term Coucou is an affectionate term for 'hello'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase comment vas-tu ? uses the informal second-person singular pronoun tu, which is appropriate when addressing one's mother.
When do people say it?
When greeting a mother this way, a common natural response is Ça va bien, merci ! (It's going well, thanks!).
Did you know?
- In France, greetings to a mother are often accompanied by la bise, the custom of kissing each cheek. Depending on the family and region, this may be two, three or even four kisses.
- The word salut shares its ancient roots with the English word 'whole', as it stems from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'complete' or 'healthy'.
- The word salut serves a double purpose in French, as it is used both to say 'hi' when arriving and 'bye' when leaving.
Examples in context
- Coucou, Maman, ça va? Je t'aime!Hi Mom, how are you? I love you!
Example conversation
Emma walks into the kitchen to see her mother.
- EmmaSalut maman, comment vas-tu ?Hi mom, how are you?
- GabrielJe vais très bien, merci Emma.I am doing very well, thank you Emma.
- EmmaC'est super ! Qu'est-ce qu'on mange ?That's great! What are we eating?
- GabrielOn mange des pâtes ce soir.We are having pasta tonight.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries comment, maman, salut, CC BY-SA 4.0.
