nous allons bien
To say "we are doing well" in French, use nous allons bien.
This phrase is used to indicate that one is in good health or is generally feeling happy and well.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, nous allons bien translates to "we go well" because French uses the verb *aller* (to go) rather than *être* (to be) to express how one is doing.
Which one should you use?
While nous allons bien refers to your general well-being or health, you would use nous travaillons bien if you specifically meant that you are performing a particular task well.
How does it change in a sentence?
In casual spoken French, on va bien is much more common than nous allons bien to express the same meaning.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying nous sommes bien to mean "we are doing well". In French, nous sommes bien usually means "we are comfortable" or "we are in a good position/situation".
Did you know?
- Historically, using the word je instead of nous in phrases like j'allons was used by playwrights like Molière to mock people as sounding like peasants.
- Using the verb aller to express health is a linguistic trait shared with other Romance languages, such as Spanish and Italian, where 'going' is used instead of 'being'.
Examples in context
- Depuis nos vacances, nous allons bien.Since our vacation, we are doing well.
- Ne vous inquiétez pas, nous allons bien.Don't worry, we are doing well.
- Grâce au repos, nous allons bien.Thanks to the rest, we are doing well.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon meet an old friend on the street.
- GabrielBonjour Manon ! Comment allez-vous ?Hello Manon! How are you all doing?
- ManonBonjour ! Nous allons bien, merci.Hello! We are doing well, thank you.
- GabrielC'est super. Et Gabriel ?That's great. And Gabriel?
- ManonIl va bien lui aussi.He is doing well too.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, nous, CC BY-SA 4.0.
