Je ne vais pas bien
The English phrase 'I am not fine' is expressed in French as Je ne vais pas bien.
This phrase is used to state that you are feeling unwell or are in a bad emotional state.
Which one should you use?
Je ne vais pas bien refers to your general state of health or mood. In contrast, Je ne suis pas bien often refers to a physical sensation of discomfort or feeling unwell in a specific moment, such as feeling nauseous or cramped.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In casual spoken French, the ne of the negation is often dropped, resulting in the informal version Je vais pas bien. Other informal options include Ça ne va pas. to say 'Things are not going well', Je ne me sens pas top. to say 'I don't feel great', and Je ne me sens pas au top de ma forme. to say 'I don't feel at my best.'
How does it change in a sentence?
To say you are not doing 'very' well, you insert très between the negation pas and the adverb bien, creating Je ne vais pas très bien.
Did you know?
- In France, responding to 'How are you?' with Je ne vais pas bien can be perceived as very heavy or a request for serious emotional support.
- Before pas became the standard, French speakers used other nouns like goutte for 'drop' or mie for 'crumb' to express negation.
- While English speakers use the verb 'to be' to describe their state, French uses the verb aller, which means 'to go'. To say you are not fine, you literally say 'I am not going well'.
Examples in context
- Ça ne va pas très bien en ce moment.Things are not going very well right now.
- Je ne vais pas bien aujourd'hui.I am not feeling well today.
- Désolé, mais je ne vais pas bien du tout.Sorry, but I am not doing well at all.
Example conversation
Manon and Lucas are talking at home.
- ManonSalut Lucas, comment ça va ?Hi Lucas, how are you?
- LucasÇa va, et toi Manon ?I'm okay, and you Manon?
- ManonJe ne vais pas bien du tout.I am not doing well at all.
- LucasOh non, qu'est-ce qui se passe ?Oh no, what's happening?
