How to Say “How Are You? (informal)” in French

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comment ça va ?
The English phrase "how are you? (informal)" is translated into French as comment ça va ?
comment ça va ? is an informal greeting used to ask about someone's well-being, often translated as "How's it going?" or "How are you doing?"

What does it mean word for word?

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

Which one should you use?

While comment ça va ? is a standard informal way to ask how someone is, you can use the shortened version Ça va ? to mean "How's it going?" or "You okay?" For a different type of inquiry, Quoi de neuf ? can be used among friends to mean "What's new?"

When do people say it?

When someone asks you comment ça va ?, a common and natural response is simply ça va or ça va bien to indicate that you are doing well.

Did you know?

  • In some regions or contexts, ça va can be used as a command to tell someone to calm down or stop a certain behavior, similar to saying 'that's enough'.
  • The word va comes from the Latin vādō, which means 'to go' or 'to walk'. This is the same root that gives English the word 'evade'.

Examples in context

  • Salut, comment ça va ?
    Hi, how are you?
  • Dis-moi, comment ça va ?
    Tell me, how are you?

Example conversation

Two friends meet in a park.

  1. Hugo

    Salut Manon, comment ça va ?
    Hi Manon, how are you?
  2. Manon

    Ça va très bien, et toi Hugo ?
    I'm doing very well, and you Hugo?
  3. Hugo

    Moi aussi, ça va super.
    Me too, I'm doing great.
  4. Manon

    Tant mieux !
    That's good!
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Derek Dustin
Derek DustinHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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