comment vas-tu, mon amour
The English phrase "how are you, my love" is translated into French as comment vas-tu, mon amour.
This is a romantic greeting used to ask a partner or loved one how they are doing.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "how go you, my love" because the verb aller (to go) is used in French to express a state of being or health.
Which one should you use?
While comment vas-tu, mon amour is a standard way to ask this, you may encounter other informal versions. Comment ça va, mon amour? is an informal way to ask the question and ça va, mon amour? is a more common, casual way to ask a partner how they are doing in everyday conversation. For a very informal and playful tone, you can use Coucou mon amour, ça gaze?, which means "Hey, my love, everything going well?"
Did you know?
- French has many 'terms of endearment' that use animals, such as mon chou (my cabbage/puff pastry) or ma puce (my flea), which can replace mon amour in casual settings.
- Even if you are speaking to a woman, you still say mon amour because the word amour is grammatically masculine. The possessive adjective mon follows the gender of the noun, not the gender of the person you are addressing.
- The word mon might not be purely Latin in origin. It may have been shaped by the Gaulish word mon, which suggests a linguistic blend of ancient Celtic and Latin roots.
Examples in context
- Comment ça va, mon amour? Tu me manques terriblement.How are you, my love? I miss you terribly.
- Coucou mon amour, ça gaze? J'ai hâte de te retrouver ce soir.Hey, my love, everything going well? I can't wait to see you tonight.
- Dis-moi, comment vas-tu, mon amour ?Tell me, how are you, my love?
- Bonjour, comment vas-tu, mon amour ?Hello, how are you, my love?
Example conversation
Léa greets Nathan when he arrives home.
- LéaBonsoir ! Comment vas-tu, mon amour ?Good evening! How are you, my love?
- NathanJe vais très bien, merci Léa.I am doing very well, thank you Léa.
- LéaTa journée s'est bien passée ?Did your day go well?
- NathanOui, c'était une excellente journée.Yes, it was an excellent day.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amour, comment, mon, CC BY-SA 4.0.
