ça allait
In French, 'it was okay' is translated as ça allait.
The phrase ça allait is used to describe something that was satisfactory or acceptable, but not particularly great. It is commonly used as a response to questions about how an event, a meal or a situation went.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ça allait is a literal combination of the pronoun ça (it/that) and the imperfect tense of the verb aller (to go), meaning 'it was going'.
Which one should you use?
While c'était bien means 'it was good', implying a positive evaluation, ça allait suggests a sense of adequacy or mediocrity, implying it was merely passable.
Did you know?
- The word ça is a calque of the German word Es, which is a substantivized pronoun.
- While ça allait is used for adequacy, a French speaker might use the phrase ça passe to describe something that is barely acceptable or just barely 'passes' a certain standard.
- The phrase ça allait uses the verb aller, which means 'to go'. In French, the concept of 'going' is often used to describe health, mood and general state of being rather than physical movement.
Examples in context
- J'ai assisté à la présentation, et c'était acceptable.I attended the presentation, and it was okay.
- Le service au restaurant était satisfaisant.The service at the restaurant was okay.
- Le résultat de l'examen était convenable.The exam result was okay.
- Tu as vu le film hier soir ? C'était pas mal.Did you see the movie last night? It was okay.
- La soirée était bien, mais la nourriture était moyenne.The party was good, but the food was just okay.
- Le concert était assez bien.The concert was okay.
- Pour le film, ça allait.As for the movie, it was okay.
- C'était un peu long, mais ça allait.It was a bit long, but it was okay.
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are discussing a concert they recently attended.
- LucasTu as aimé le concert, Léa ?Did you like the concert, Léa?
- LéaC'était correct, ça allait.It was alright, it was okay.
- LucasAh bon ? C'était pas génial ?Oh really? It wasn't great?
- LéaNon, mais ça allait quand même.No, but it was okay nonetheless.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ça, CC BY-SA 4.0.
