Ça va (très) bien
(lit. It's going (very) well)
Oui, ça va.
Yes, it goes.
Très bien, merci.
Very well, thanks.
Pas mal.
Not Bad
pas si bien/pas très bien
not so well
(très) mal
(very) bad
Comme ci, comme ça.
So-So.
Désolé(e).
Sorry.
Et toi ?
And you? (informal)
Et vous ?
And you? (formal)
Check for understanding
Write down as many ways to respond to Ça va? as you can think of off the top off your head. Then go back to the vocabulary and learn other ways.
E: Basic phrases - Dialogue
French Exercise ? Print version ?
audio (info ?60 kb ? help)
Basic Phrases Expressions de base
Exercise
Put the following conversation in order:
First
Second
Third
Fourth
1. Michel Je ne vais pas très bien. Bonjour, Jacques
Au revoir
Comment ça va?
2. Jacques
Ça va très bien! Et vous?
Désolé.
À demain.
Salut, Michel!
Allez-vous bien?
Solution:
First
Second
Third
Fourth
1. Michel Bonjour, Jacques.
Comment ça va?
Je ne vais pas très bien. Au revoir.
2. Jacques
Ça va très bien! Et vous?
Salut, Michel!
Désolé.
À demain.
Allez-vous bien?
Formal lesson - Asking how one is doing
Ça va? is used to ask someone how they are doing. The phrase literally means It goes? , referring to the body and life. A more formal way to say this is Comment allez-vous? . You can respond by using ça va as a statement; Ça va. roughly means I'm fine. The adverb bien is used to say well, and is often said both alone and as Ça va bien. Bien is preceded by certain adverbs to specify the degree to which you are well. Common phrases are assez bien, meaning rather well, très bien, meaning very well, and vraiment bien, meaning really well. The adverb mal is used to say badly. Pas is commonly added to mal to form Pas mal. , meaning Not bad. Comme ci, comme ça. , literally translating to Like this, like that. , is used to say So, so. To be polite, add merci, meaning thank you to responses to questions.
Check for understanding
Pretend to have (or actually have) a verbal conversation with various people that you know, such as siblings, friends, children, teachers, coworkers, or heads of state. Address them in different ways, depending on their relation to you. Ask them how they are doing, and finally say goodbye.
Lesson 0.08 - Numbers
V: Cardinal numbers
Main article: French/Appendices/Dates, time, and numbers#Les numéros French Vocabulary ? Print version ?
