je vais bien
je vais bien is the French way to say 'I am doing well'.
This phrase is used as a direct response to a question about your well-being, such as Comment allez-vous ? or Comment vas-tu ?
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'I go well' because the French verb aller (to go) is used to express a person's state of being or health.
Which one should you use?
While English uses the verb 'to be' (I am well), French uses the verb aller to express how one is doing. For a much more common and informal way to say you are doing well, you can simply say ça va.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a more formal tone, you might use Je me porte bien, merci. In informal settings, Ça va bien. is common, while Ça roule. is a colloquial way to say you are doing well.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Québec, you might hear J'm'en tire bien, pis toi? to mean 'I'm doing well and you?'
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the opposite of feeling well, you can replace the adverb bien with mal to say je vais mal (I am doing badly).
Did you know?
- The verb vais comes from the Latin vadō, which is the same root found in the English word 'evade'.
- French uses the verb aller for health because of an ancient conceptual link between the 'way' one is traveling through life and their physical state.
- In some traditional French etiquette, responding je vais bien without adding merci at the end can be perceived as blunt or slightly impolite.
Examples in context
- Ami(e): Salut! Ça va bien? – Toi: Ouais, je vais bien. Et toi?Hey! How are you doing? – Yeah, I'm doing well. And you?
- Merci, je vais bien.Thank you, I am doing well.
- Ne t'inquiète pas, je vais bien.Don't worry, I am doing fine.
Example conversation
Chloé meets Lucas at a cafe.
- ChloéSalut Lucas, comment vas-tu ?Hi Lucas, how are you?
- LucasSalut Chloé, je vais bien, et toi ?Hi Chloé, I am doing well, and you?
- ChloéMoi aussi, je vais bien.Me too, I am doing well.
- LucasSuper, on prend un café ?Great, shall we have a coffee?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, je, vais, CC BY-SA 4.0.
