What does it mean word for word?
Literally, comment ça va ? translates to "how it goes?"
Which one should you use?
The phrase comment ça va ? means "How is it going?", whereas Ça va bien? is an informal way to ask "Is everything okay?"
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In formal situations, such as when speaking to strangers or superiors, you should use Comment allez-vous? to mean "How are you?" or Comment vous portez-vous? to mean "How are you doing?" In casual settings among friends, you can use the shorter version Ça va ? which means "How's it going?" or "You good?"
How does it change in a sentence?
The component ça va is highly versatile. It can function as both the question "how are you?" and the answer "I am doing well".
When do people say it?
A standard response to comment ça va ? is Ça va bien, merci, which means "It's going well, thanks."
Did you know?
- The verb va comes from the Latin 'vadere', which is also the ancestor of the English word 'wade', as in walking through water.
- In very formal French, comment vous portez-vous ? literally asks how you 'carry yourself', reflecting a historical view of health as a physical posture.
- While English speakers often use 'how are you' as a hollow greeting, answering comment ça va ? with a long, detailed list of your actual problems might be seen as too heavy for a casual encounter.
Examples in context
- Bonjour Monsieur, comment allez-vous aujourd'hui?Good day, sir, how are you today?
- Madame, comment vous portez-vous après cette longue journée de travail?Madam, how are you doing after this long day at work?
- Bonjour, comment ça va depuis notre dernière réunion?Hello, how has it been going since our last meeting?
- Salut, ça va?Hey, how is it going?
- Coucou, ça va bien? Tu as l'air fatigué.Hey, everything okay? You look tired.
- Salut, comment ça va ?Hi, how are you doing?
Example conversation
Two friends meet by chance on the street.
- ChloéNathan, salut ! Comment ça va ?Nathan, hi! How are you doing?
- NathanÇa va très bien, et toi ?I'm doing very well, and you?
- ChloéÇa va bien aussi, merci.I'm doing well too, thanks.
- NathanJe suis ravi de te voir !I am delighted to see you!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries comment, va, ça, CC BY-SA 4.0.
