comment ça va les gars ?
The English phrase "how are you guys?" can be translated into French as comment ça va les gars ?
comment ça va les gars ? is an informal greeting used to ask a group of people how they are doing. It is used specifically when referring to a group of male friends.
What does it mean word for word?
The component les gars literally means "the guys".
Which one should you use?
comment ça va les gars ? is the informal version used with friends, whereas Comment allez-vous ? is the standard formal or polite way to ask a group how they are.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
comment ça va les gars ? is an informal way to address a group. For formal situations, you should use Comment allez-vous ?
Did you know?
- Using les gars can sound overly Americanized to some traditionalists, as the habit of using it as a general group address has grown alongside the influence of English cinema.
- The word gars is actually a shortened form of garçon, which originally referred to a youth or a servant before becoming a general term for a boy or man.
- While les gars literally means 'the guys', it is often used in modern informal French to address a mixed-gender group of friends, similar to the English 'you guys'.
Examples in context
- Bonjour, comment allez-vous aujourd'hui ?Hello, how are you guys today?
- Salut les gars, comment ça va aujourd'hui ?Hey guys, how are you doing today?
- Salut ! Comment ça va les gars ?Hi! How are you guys?
- Alors, comment ça va les gars ?So, how are you guys doing?
Example conversation
Gabriel walks into a room where Manon and her friends are hanging out.
- GabrielSalut tout le monde, comment ça va les gars ?Hi everyone, how are you guys doing?
- ManonÇa va très bien, Gabriel !We are doing very well, Gabriel!
- GabrielSuper, vous avez l'air en forme.Great, you all look energetic.
- ManonMerci, on a passé une bonne journée.Thanks, we had a good day.
