1.3. Comment ça va ?

Asking People How They Are

1.3.1. The Main Idea

To ask how someone is in French, use ça va ?, comment ça va ?, or comment allez-vous ?

Ça va ?	How are you? / Is it going okay? informal
Comment ça va ?	How are you?
Comment tu vas ?	How are you? informal
Comment allez-vous ?	How are you? formal / plural

1.3.2. Informal Questions

Use these with friends, classmates, family, or people you know well.

Ça va ?	How are you?
Comment ça va ?	How are you?
Comment tu vas ?	How are you?
Tu vas bien ?	Are you doing well?
Ça va bien ?	Are things going well?

1.3.3. Formal Questions

Use these with professors, strangers, workers, older people, or groups.

Comment allez-vous ?	How are you? formal / plural
Vous allez bien ?	Are you doing well? formal / plural
Comment ça va ?	How are you? neutral
Ça va bien ?	Are things going well? neutral
Bonjour, comment allez-vous ?	Hello, how are you? formal

1.3.4. Positive Answers

Ça va bien.	I’m doing well.
Très bien, merci.	Very well, thank you.
Je vais bien.	I’m doing well.
Tout va bien.	Everything is going well.
Super !	Great! informal
Ça va très bien.	I’m doing very well.

1.3.5. Neutral or Moderate Answers

Ça va.	I’m okay. / It’s going okay.
Pas mal.	Not bad.
Comme ci, comme ça.	So-so.
Ça va assez bien.	I’m doing quite well.
Bof.	Meh. very informal
Je suis un peu fatigué.	I’m a little tired. masculine speaker
Je suis un peu fatiguée.	I’m a little tired. feminine speaker

1.3.6. Negative Answers

Ça ne va pas très bien.	I’m not doing very well.
Ça ne va pas.	I’m not okay.
Pas très bien.	Not very well.
Je vais mal.	I’m doing badly.
Je suis malade.	I’m sick.
Je suis stressé.	I’m stressed. masculine speaker
Je suis stressée.	I’m stressed. feminine speaker

1.3.7. Asking Back

After answering, it is polite to ask the other person back.

Et toi ?	And you? informal
Et vous ?	And you? formal / plural
Et toi, ça va ?	And you, are you okay? informal
Et vous, ça va ?	And you, are you okay? formal / plural
Moi aussi.	Me too.
Merci.	Thank you.

1.3.8. Saying Why

Use parce que to explain how you feel.

Ça va bien parce que je suis content.	I’m doing well because I’m happy. masculine speaker
Ça va bien parce que je suis contente.	I’m doing well because I’m happy. feminine speaker
Je suis fatigué parce que j’ai beaucoup de devoirs.	I’m tired because I have a lot of homework. masculine speaker
Je suis fatiguée parce que j’ai beaucoup de devoirs.	I’m tired because I have a lot of homework. feminine speaker
Je suis stressé parce que j’ai un examen.	I’m stressed because I have an exam. masculine speaker
Je suis stressée parce que j’ai un examen.	I’m stressed because I have an exam. feminine speaker

1.3.9. Common Feeling Words

content	happy, masculine
contente	happy, feminine
fatigué	tired, masculine
fatiguée	tired, feminine
stressé	stressed, masculine
stressée	stressed, feminine
malade	sick
occupé	busy, masculine
occupée	busy, feminine
triste	sad
calme	calm
bien	well
mal	badly / not well

1.3.10. Core Patterns

Ça va ?	How are you?
Comment ça va ?	How are you?
Comment tu vas ?	How are you? informal
Comment allez-vous ?	How are you? formal / plural
Ça va bien.	I’m doing well.
Ça va.	I’m okay.
Pas mal.	Not bad.
Pas très bien.	Not very well.
Et toi ?	And you? informal
Et vous ?	And you? formal / plural

1.3.11. Practice

How are you? informal
How are you? formal
Are you doing well? informal
I’m doing well.
Very well, thank you.
I’m okay.
Not bad.
Not very well.
I’m tired. masculine speaker
And you? formal

1.3.12. Answers

How are you? informal	Ça va ?
How are you? formal	Comment allez-vous ?
Are you doing well? informal	Tu vas bien ?
I’m doing well.	Ça va bien.
Very well, thank you.	Très bien, merci.
I’m okay.	Ça va.
Not bad.	Pas mal.
Not very well.	Pas très bien.
I’m tired. masculine speaker	Je suis fatigué.
And you? formal	Et vous ?

1.3.13. Short Dialogue

A : Salut ! Ça va ?	A: Hi! How are you?
B : Ça va bien, merci. Et toi ?	B: I’m doing well, thank you. And you?
A : Pas mal. Je suis un peu fatigué.	A: Not bad. I’m a little tired. masculine speaker
B : Pourquoi ?	B: Why?
A : Parce que j’ai beaucoup de devoirs.	A: Because I have a lot of homework.

1.3.14. Checkpoint

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to ask how someone is formally and informally, give positive, neutral, and negative answers, ask the question back, and explain briefly how you feel with parce que.