Comment tu te sens ?
The English phrase 'how are you feeling' is translated into French as Comment tu te sens ?
This phrase is a question used to ask someone about their current physical or emotional state.
Which one should you use?
While Comment tu te sens ? focuses specifically on internal physical or emotional states, Comment ça va ? is a more general greeting used to ask how someone is doing in life.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Québec, Canada, the phrase Comment tu t'en sors ? is used to mean 'How are you coping?'
How does it change in a sentence?
To answer the question, you use the reflexive pronoun 'me' with the verb, such as in Je me sens bien (I feel well).
Did you know?
- While Comment tu te sens ? asks about feelings, the word sens also means 'direction' in French, such as in a 'one-way street' (sens unique).
- The French word for 'you' tu is a cognate of the German 'du' and the Russian 'ты', all descending from the same Proto-Indo-European root.
- In formal French, you would avoid Comment tu te sens ? and instead use the 'vous' form, Comment vous sentez-vous ?, to show respect to a stranger or superior.
Examples in context
- Je me sens bien, et vous ?I feel good, and you?
- Je ne vais pas bien du tout.I'm not feeling well at all.
- Ça va bien, merci.I'm fine, thank you.
- Je me sens super ! Et toi ?I feel great! And you?
Example conversation
Emma asks Hugo about his recovery from a cold.
- EmmaSalut Hugo, comment tu te sens ?Hi Hugo, how are you feeling?
- HugoJe me sens beaucoup mieux, merci.I feel much better, thanks.
- EmmaTu as encore de la fièvre ?Do you still have a fever?
- HugoNon, tout est rentré dans l'ordre.No, everything is back to normal.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries comment, sens, te, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
