comment allez-vous tous
The English phrase "how are you all" is translated into French as comment allez-vous tous.
comment allez-vous tous is a greeting used to ask about the well-being of a group of people.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "how go you all".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
comment allez-vous tous is a formal or polite way to ask a group how they are doing because it uses the vous form. For informal situations, you might use Comment ça va, tout le monde? to ask how everyone is doing or Vous allez bien, les amis? to ask friends if they are doing well.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, Canada, the informal phrase Comment ça va, gang? is used to mean "How is it going, gang?"
How does it change in a sentence?
In French, the verb aller (to go) is used instead of être (to be) to express how someone is doing.
Did you know?
- The word tous in this phrase is pronounced with a hard 's' sound at the end, unlike many other French words where the final 's' is silent.
- The word tout le monde used in informal greetings literally means 'all the world', but it is used to mean 'everyone'.
- While comment allez-vous tous is grammatically correct, many French speakers simply use ça va? for both individuals and groups regardless of the number of people.
Examples in context
- Comment allez-vous tous ?How are you all?Tatoeba #1521314 by sacredceltic, translation #914019 by Jane_Austen
- Bonjour à tous! Comment allez-vous aujourd'hui?Hello, everyone! How are you all today?
- Salut tout le monde! Comment ça va aujourd'hui?Hi, everyone! How is it going today?
- Coucou, les amis! Vous allez bien aujourd'hui?Hey, friends! Are you all doing well today?
- Bonjour, comment allez-vous tous ?Hello, how are you all?
- Mes amis, comment allez-vous tous ?My friends, how are you all?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé arrives at a family gathering where Gabriel is waiting.
- ChloéBonjour Gabriel ! Comment allez-vous tous ?Hello Gabriel! How are you all?
- GabrielNous allons très bien, merci Chloé.We are doing very well, thank you Chloé.
- ChloéC'est super, je suis contente pour vous.That's great, I am happy for you.
- GabrielMerci, entre donc et installe-toi.Thank you, come in and make yourself at home.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
