je vais très bien
To say "I am doing very well" in French, use je vais très bien.
je vais très bien is a response used to express that you are in good health or feeling happy.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "I go very well" because the French verb aller (to go) is used to express how one is doing or one's state of health.
Which one should you use?
While je vais très bien emphasizes the degree of your well-being, the opposite expression is je vais mal (I am doing badly) or je vais très mal (I am doing very badly).
How does it change in a sentence?
If you want to say "I am doing well" without the emphasis of "very", you simply omit the adverb très to say je vais bien.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying je suis très bien to mean you are doing well. In French, je suis très bien usually means "I am very comfortable" or "I am a very good person."
Did you know?
- The word vais in this phrase comes from the Latin verb vadō, which is the same ancestor that gave us the English word 'wade'.
- The word bien is a direct relative of the Latin 'bene', making it a linguistic cousin to English words like 'benefit' and 'benevolent'.
- While je vais très bien is a standard response, a French speaker might answer ça va to both the question 'how are you?' and as the reply 'I am doing well'.
Examples in context
- Je vais très bien, merci.I am doing very well, thank you.
- Depuis mes vacances, je vais très bien.Since my holidays, I am doing very well.
- Ne t'inquiète pas, je vais très bien.Don't worry, I am doing very well.
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma meet for coffee.
- LucasSalut Emma ! Comment vas-tu ?Hi Emma! How are you doing?
- EmmaJe vais très bien, et toi ?I am doing very well, and you?
- LucasÇa va pas mal, merci.I'm doing okay, thanks.
- EmmaC'est super, Lucas !That's great, Lucas!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, je, très, vais, CC BY-SA 4.0.
