How to Say “How Was Your Summer?” in French

By •
comment s'est passé ton été ?
The English phrase "how was your summer?" can be translated into French as comment s'est passé ton été ?
This question is used to ask someone about their experiences during the summer break.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase comment s'est passé ton été ? literally translates to "how itself passed your summer?" because it uses the reflexive verb se passer (to happen/to pass) to ask how the time went.

Which one should you use?

While comment était ton été? is grammatically correct, comment s'est passé ton été? is more idiomatic and common when asking about the quality of the experience. For a very casual spoken approach, you can also use the statement Ton été s'est bien passé ? with rising intonation to mean "Your summer went well?"

Is it said differently in some regions?

The phrase Comment s'est passé ton été par chez toi? can be used to specifically refer to the person's region or area.

How does it change in a sentence?

The default form uses the possessive adjective ton, which is used for friends, family or people you know well. If you are speaking to a stranger, a superior or a group of people, you should replace ton with votre, as seen in the formal version comment s'est passé votre été ?

Did you know?

  • Because the word été shares roots with the Latin 'stāre', it is a distant linguistic relative of the English word 'state'.
  • In France, the summer break is so culturally ingrained that many businesses and government offices operate on reduced hours during the été period.

Examples in context

  • Comment s'est passé votre été? J'espère que vous avez profité du soleil!
    How was your summer? I hope you enjoyed the sun!
  • Comment était ton été? As-tu visité de nouveaux endroits?
    How was your summer? Did you visit any new places?
  • Dis-moi, comment s'est passé ton été ?
    Tell me, how was your summer?

Example conversation

Hugo and Emma meet at school after the break.

  1. Hugo

    Salut Emma, comment s'est passé ton été ?
    Hi Emma, how was your summer?
  2. Emma

    C'était super, je suis allée à la plage !
    It was great, I went to the beach!
  3. Hugo

    C'est génial ! Tu as aimé ?
    That's awesome! Did you like it?
  4. Emma

    Oui, j'ai adoré le soleil.
    Yes, I loved the sun.

Sources

⭐Share⭐ to appreciate human effort 🙏
Ryan Kieran
Ryan KieranHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
guest
0 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Scroll to Top