How to Say ‘How are you?’ in French
Ça va ?
sah vah
[sah vah]
💬 Usage Tip: Literally "Is it going?" It can mean "How are you?" or "Is everything okay?" depending on context.
🇫🇷 In France: This is one of the most common casual greetings in France, especially with friends, classmates, and coworkers.
Phrase Breakdown
Ça
[sah]
that / it
Used in the expression 'ça va ?' where it refers generally to how things are going.
Quand je demande Ça va ?, je suis poli.
When I ask 'How are you?', I am being polite.
va
[vah]
goes / is going
In 'ça va ?', this verb helps form the idea 'is it going well?' meaning 'how are you?'
Dans la question Ça va ?, va est très courant.
In the question 'How are you?', 'va' is very common.
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