What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "that suits me" or "that goes to me".
Which one should you use?
While ça me va is a standard way to express agreement, you can use Ça me semble bien to be more formal. For more enthusiasm, you can say Ça me va très bien to mean "That sounds great to me". In informal settings, you might hear Ça marche !, which literally translates to "It works!" or the informal Pourquoi pas ? (Why not?).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a more formal and polite way to say "sounds good to me", use Ça me semble bien. In even more formal settings, you might use the verb convenir in the phrase ça me convient, which means "that is suitable for me".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, Canada, the informal expression Ça roule! can be used to mean "sounds good to me".
How does it change in a sentence?
You can add the adverb bien to the phrase to say ça me va bien, meaning "that suits me well". To express a higher level of enthusiasm, use très bien to say Ça me va très bien.
Did you know?
- The phrase ça me va is also used when talking about clothing, where it means a garment 'suits' or 'looks good on' the person.
- The word me in this phrase stems from the Latin accusative 'mē', but in certain northern French dialects, you might still encounter the form 'mi', which comes from the Latin dative 'mihi'.
- While the phrase ça me va means 'that suits me', using the verb aller (to go) in this way is a common way to express that something is appropriate or fitting in French.
Examples in context
- Moi, ça me va.Sounds good to me.This example shows how to use ça me va to express agreement.Tatoeba #7938656 by Micsmithel, translation #1513360 by Spamster
- Organiser un événement pour collecter des fonds ? C'est une excellente idée.Organizing an event to raise funds? That's an excellent idea.
- Tu veux qu'on aille au cinéma ce soir ? Ça marche !Do you want to go to the movies tonight? Sounds good to me!
- On se voit à dix heures, ça me va.We'll see each other at ten, that sounds good to me.
- Pour le dîner, ça me va parfaitement.For dinner, that sounds perfectly fine to me.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are discussing plans for the weekend.
- GabrielOn va au cinéma samedi soir ?Shall we go to the cinema on Saturday night?
- ChloéOui, ça me va très bien !Yes, that sounds great to me!
- GabrielJe passe te chercher à huit heures.I will pick you up at eight o'clock.
- ChloéParfait, à samedi alors.Perfect, see you Saturday then.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries me, va, ça, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
