How to Say ‘How are you / Are you okay’ in French
Ça va
sah vah
[sah vah]
💬 Usage Tip: Literally "it goes." Very common and flexible: statement or question depending on intonation.
🇫🇷 In France: A quick Ça va ? is standard friendly small talk between parents, teachers, and staff.
Phrase Breakdown
Ça
[sah]
it / that
In this expression, ça means 'it' or 'that' and helps form the common phrase ça va.
Le matin, Ça va est une question simple entre parents.
In the morning, 'Ça va' is a simple question between parents.
va
[vah]
goes / is going
Va comes from the verb aller and in ça va it means 'is going' or 'going'.
Au portail, Ça va est une formule très courante.
At the gate, 'Ça va' is a very common expression.
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