comment vont les choses
The English phrase "how are things" is translated into French as comment vont les choses.
comment vont les choses is typically used when inquiring about a specific situation, a project or a relationship rather than as a simple, general greeting.
Meaning: Translations (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase means "how go the things", where vont is the third-person plural form of the verb aller (to go).
Which one should you use?
While comment vont les choses is grammatically correct, it is less common in casual, everyday spoken French than the phrase comment ça va or the shorter ça va. Other alternatives include Comment ça va? for "How's it going?" and Comment ça se passe? for "How are things going?"
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
comment vont les choses is a relatively formal or literary way to phrase this question compared to more common everyday greetings.
Did you know?
- If you use this phrase to greet a friend at a cafe, you will sound more like a character from a 19th-century novel than a modern local.
- The word vont in comment vont les choses descends from the Latin vadunt, which specifically referred to walking or journeying.
- While comment vont les choses asks about a situation, the general greeting ça va can function as both a question and an answer. A person can ask ça va? and the other can simply reply ça va to mean 'it is going well'.
Examples in context
- Comment vont les choses, à l'école ?How are things at school?This sentence shows how to use comment vont les choses to ask about school.Tatoeba #2367750 by sacredceltic, translation #2366909 by Hybrid
- Comment vont les choses entre vous ?How are things between you two?This sentence shows how to use comment vont les choses to ask about a relationship between people.Tatoeba #6841256 by Aiji, translation #4012242 by CK
- Comment vont les choses, au travail ?How are things at work?This sentence shows how to use comment vont les choses to ask about work.Tatoeba #2367752 by sacredceltic, translation #569277 by CM
- Bonjour, comment ça va depuis la dernière fois ?Hello, how have things been since last time?
- Salut, ça va ? Pas de nouvelles ?Hey, how are you? No news?
- Salut, comment ça se passe avec ton nouveau travail ?Hey, how are things going with your new job?
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa meet for coffee after a long time.
- LucasSalut Léa ! Alors, comment vont les choses ?Hi Léa! So, how are things?
- LéaTout va bien, merci. Et toi ?Everything is going well, thanks. And you?
- LucasÇa va super, je suis très content.It's going great, I am very happy.
- LéaC'est génial d'entendre ça !That's great to hear!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries comment, les, vont, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
