How to Say How Are You in French (and Actually Answer It)
How are you in French: ça va ? with friends, comment allez-vous ? formally. Learn every version, the natural replies, and the ça va-both-ways trick.
How are you in French is ça va ? /sah VAH/ with friends, or comment allez-vous ? /koh-mahn tah-lay VOO/ in formal situations. Conveniently, ça va also works as the answer: - Ça va ? - Ça va, et toi ? To sound extra natural, reply bien, merci or a casual bof (meh).
Quick answer
How are you in French is ça va ? with friends, or comment allez-vous ? in formal situations. Conveniently, ça va also works as the answer: - Ça va ? - Ça va, et toi ? To sound extra natural, reply bien, merci or a casual bof (meh).
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Ça va: question and answer in one
Ça va literally means “it goes” - from the verb aller (to go). Intonation alone turns the statement into a question, and the exact same words work as the reply: - Ça va ? - Ça va ! Variants include ça va bien ? and tu vas bien ?. For the informal register this belongs to, see salut and casual greetings.
The register ladder
| Phrase | Pronunciation | Register | Use with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ça va ? | /sah VAH/ | casual | friends, peers |
| Comment ça va ? | /koh-mahn sah VAH/ | neutral-casual | friends, acquaintances |
| Tu vas bien ? | /tü vah byehn/ | warm-informal | close friends |
| Comment vas-tu ? | /koh-mahn vah-TÜ/ | informal but careful | writing, dressy speech |
| Comment allez-vous ? | /koh-mahn tah-lay VOO/ | formal | strangers, elders, work |
| Vous allez bien ? | /voo-zah-lay byehn/ | formal-warm | work, professional |
Note: comment vas-tu is grammatically informal (it uses tu) but reads as stylistically dressy - real friends just say ça va. For the full tu/vous logic underneath this ladder, see using tu vs vous correctly.
How to answer (the reply bank)
| Tone | Reply | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | ça va (bien), très bien merci, super, nickel, en pleine forme | good / great / in great shape |
| Neutral | bof, ça peut aller, on fait aller | meh / could be worse / we manage |
| Negative | pas terrible, ça ne va pas | not great / things aren’t okay |
Whatever your mood, return the volley: et toi ? (informal) or et vous ? (formal).
Casual openers beyond ça va
Quoi de neuf ? /kwah duh NUHF/ (what’s new?), ça roule ? (rolling along?), and tu deviens quoi ? (what have you been up to - great for reunions) all extend the same territory casually.
Mini-dialogues
Friend: - Salut ! Ça va ? - Ça va, et toi ? - Bof, un peu fatigué.
Shop: - Bonjour, vous allez bien ? - Très bien, merci, et vous ?
Reunion: - Ça fait longtemps ! Tu deviens quoi ? - Pas grand-chose, toujours le même travail.
Once ça va and its honest reply bank feel automatic, you have a genuine social tool - not just a greeting to survive, but a real opening for actual conversation.
Small talk that actually flows
LexiFr teaches the register ladder behind ça va with native audio, so your reply always matches the moment.
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Questions about this note
What does ça va literally mean?
"It goes" - from the verb aller (to go). French essentially asks whether things are going well.
How do you respond to ça va?
ça va / ça va bien, et toi ? works as the default - or a casual bof if things are just so-so.
Is comment allez-vous formal?
Yes - it uses vous and suits strangers, elders and professional settings.
What does bof mean?
An iconic French "meh" - mildly unenthusiastic, without being dramatic.
What does quoi de neuf mean?
"What's new?" - a casual opener among friends.