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How to Say ‘That doesn't work for you?’ in French

Ça ne te va pas ?

sah nuh tuh vah pah

[sah nuh tuh vah pah]

💬 Usage Tip: Aller "to go" also means "to suit" or "to work for" someone. Ça me va means "That works for me".

Phrase Breakdown

Ça ne

sah nuh

That doesn't

Start of the negation. Say 'sa nuh'.

Example

Ça ne marche pas.

It doesn't work.

Words in this phrase

Ça

[sah]

that / it

Demonstrative pronoun used in everyday French to mean 'that' or 'it.'

Example

Ça me plaît quand une entreprise parle clairement.

I like it when a company speaks clearly.

[nuh]

not

Used to make a negative.

Example

Je ne sais pas.

I do not know.

te va pas ?

tuh vah pah

suit you?

'Aller à quelqu'un' means to suit someone. Raise your voice at the end.

Example

Ça te va ?

Does that suit you?

Words in this phrase

[tuh]

you (object)

Informal object pronoun used with 'voilà' meaning 'here you are (as)'.

Example

Te voilà enfin !

There you are at last!

[vah]

goes

Form of 'aller' (to go); with 'ça' it asks how things are going.

Example

Comment va ta mère ?

How is your mother doing?

pas

[pah]

not

Used with 'ne' to form a negative.

Example

Je ne comprends pas.

I do not understand.

Guides for French learners

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.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.

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