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How to Say ‘How are you? (informal)’ in French

Ça va ?

sah vah

[sah vah]

💬 Usage Tip: Ça va ? works as both the question and the answer. Reply Ça va and you are done.

🇫🇷 In France: Among friends and colleagues this is a passing hello, not a real question. A long, detailed answer would seem odd.

Phrase Breakdown

Ça

[sah]

it / that

Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'it' or 'that'.

Example

J'espère que ça te plaise vraiment.

I hope you really like it.

va

[vah]

goes / is going

From 'aller'; used to talk about how things are going.

Example

Tout va bien depuis quelques jours.

Everything has been going well for a few days.

Related guides

Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.Common French Phrases You'll Use Every Day (with Native Audio)The common French phrases and expressions people actually use every day: greetings, polite essentials, reactions and casual slang, with meanings and native audio.

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