Ça va ?
everyday, casual
The most common casual way to ask "how are you?" in French is Ça va ? Friends also say Ça roule ? or Quoi de neuf ? It is also called Comment ça va ?
Meaning: casual question about well-being (phrase)
Ways to say it
| French | Note |
|---|---|
| Ça va ? | everyday, casual |
| Ça roule ? | casual |
| Quoi de neuf ? | casual |
| Comment ça va ? | neutral |
Ça va ? is both the question and the usual answer: Ça va. Ça roule literally means "it is rolling", as in "things are moving along".
Which one should you use?
Quoi de neuf ? means "what is new?" and invites a short update. Comment ça va ? is a little more careful.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
With someone you address as vous, use Comment allez-vous ? instead.
Did you know?
- The French answer Ça va can also be used as the question, so only the tone shows which one is meant.
Examples in context
- Salut, ça va ?Hi, how are you?
- Ça roule ?How is it going?
- Quoi de neuf, depuis la semaine dernière ?What is new since last week?
Example conversation
Yanis meets his friend Camille at the bus stop.
- YanisSalut Camille, ça roule ?Hi Camille, how is it going?
- CamilleÇa va, et toi ?Fine, and you?
- YanisÇa va bien. Quoi de neuf ?Good. What is new?
