ça va ?
The English phrase "is that okay?" can be translated into French as ça va ?
Depending on the context, ça va ? can be used as a casual greeting to ask how someone is doing. It can also function as an answer to express that things are going well.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ça va is a contraction of cela va, which literally means "it goes" or "that goes".
Which one should you use?
Ça te va? is used to ask "Does this work for you?", whereas Ça te convient? and the formal Est-ce que cela vous convient? both mean "Does this suit you?"
How does it change in a sentence?
In spoken French, the meaning of ça va changes based on context and intonation. It can function as a question (such as "How are you?" or "Is it okay?") or as an answer (such as "It's going well").
Did you know?
- Depending on the tone, ça va ! can be used as a command to tell someone to stop doing something annoying, similar to saying 'that is enough'.
- Because ça va ? can mean both 'How are you?' and 'Are you okay?', it is possible to have an entire conversation consisting only of this phrase. One person asks ça va ? and the other replies ça va !
- The verb in ça va comes from the Latin 'vādō', which originally meant 'to go' or 'to walk', rooting the phrase in the physical movement of life 'going' along.
Examples in context
- Vous proposez de rencontrer notre équipe à 16h. Est-ce que cela vous convient?You suggest meeting our team at 4 pm. Does this suit you?
- Tu veux qu'on aille au cinéma ce soir? Ça te va?Do you want to go to the cinema tonight? Does this work for you?
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa meet at a cafe.
- GabrielSalut Léa, ça va ?Hi Léa, how are you doing?
- LéaOui, ça va bien, et toi ?Yes, I'm doing well, and you?
- GabrielÇa va, merci.I'm doing okay, thanks.
- LéaC'est super !That's great!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries va, ça, CC BY-SA 4.0.
