comment se passent tes vacances ?
The English phrase "how is your holiday" is translated into French as comment se passent tes vacances ?
This phrase is used to ask someone about their experience while they are currently in the middle of their vacation.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "how are your holidays passing?" and utilizes the reflexive verb se passer.
Which one should you use?
While comment se passent tes vacances ? is a standard way to ask how a holiday is going currently, you can also use the statement tes vacances se passent bien ? (your holidays are going well?) as a more casual alternative by using rising intonation.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the question polite or to address more than one person, you should replace the possessive adjective tes with vos to say comment se passent vos vacances ?
Did you know?
- The word vacances comes from the Latin 'vacans', meaning 'empty'. It describes the 'emptiness' of the calendar or the void left when a student leaves school for the break.
- In France, the concept of 'holidays' is so central to culture that les vacances refers to a legal right to several weeks of paid leave per year, rather than just a few random days off.
- The reflexive verb se passer used in this phrase is also the standard way to say 'what happened'. If a trip goes wrong, a French speaker might ask qu'est-ce qui s'est passé ? to find out the story.
Example conversation
Lucas calls Emma while she is traveling.
- LucasSalut Emma, comment se passent tes vacances ?Hi Emma, how is your holiday going?
- EmmaC'est super, je profite bien du soleil !It's great, I'm really enjoying the sun!
- LucasJe suis très content pour toi.I am very happy for you.
- EmmaMerci Lucas, à bientôt !Thanks Lucas, see you soon!
