How to Say "How Are You?" in French

comment ça va ?

How are you? In French is comment ça va ?

The phrase is a common greeting used to ask someone about their current well-being or general state of life. You can respond to this question by saying Ça va bien to mean you are doing well, Ça va mal to mean you are not doing well or Comme ci comme ça to mean so-so. A very natural and common way to respond is simply to say Ça va to indicate that things are going fine.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase comment ça va ? literally means "how it goes?" It is composed of comment (how), ça (it/that) and va (goes).

Which one should you use?

There are several ways to ask this depending on the situation. A more casual, shortened version is Ça va ?, which can mean "How's it going?" or "Are you okay?" In Canadian French, you may also encounter the informal Comment tu vas? or the formal Comment allez-vous? There is also a very informal expression, Comment ça roule?, which translates to "How's it rolling?"

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

For formal situations, such as when speaking to a stranger, a superior or a group of people to be polite, use Comment allez-vous ? In casual, everyday conversation with friends or family, you can use the shortened Ça va ? The phrase Comment ça roule? is also an informal expression.

Is it said differently in some regions?

In Acadian French, the phrase Comment c'tu? is used to mean "How's it going?" In Canadian French, both the formal Comment allez-vous? and the informal Comment tu vas? are common.

How does it change in a sentence?

In the phrase comment ça va ?, because ça is a third-person singular pronoun, the verb va must remain in the third-person singular form.

Did you know?

In French, the phrase Ça va ? can act as both the question 'How are you?' and the answer 'I am fine'. This creates a conversation where both people say the exact same words with only a change in tone.
In a French greeting, the answer Comme ci comme ça is often accompanied by a gesture of tilting the hand back and forth. This visual cue reinforces the 'so-so' meaning of the phrase.
While Comment allez-vous ? is the formal standard, the verb aller means 'to go'. This reflects a conceptual approach where health is viewed as a journey or a movement forward rather than a static state.

Examples in context

Salut, comment ça va ?
Hi, how are you?

Example conversation

Two friends meet at a cafe.

Lucas

Salut Chloé, comment ça va ?
Hi Chloé, how are you?
Chloé

Ça va très bien, merci Lucas !
I'm doing very well, thanks Lucas!
Lucas

Je suis ravi de l'entendre.
I am glad to hear that.
Chloé

Et toi, tout se passe bien ?
And you, is everything going well?

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How to Say “How Are You?” in French