In this grammar lesson you will learn how to ask how are you in French.
In this lesson you will learn about:
- how you have to use aller and not être
- how to ask how are you in French
- how to respond in French
- the way that this idiom is used in sentences
- how you can quiz yourself on how to ask how are you in French
- how to practice on how to ask how are you in French
- how and why you should use the courses of Language Atlas to learn French
Please refer to the French A1 Curriculum to get a better overview of French grammar, if you are curious about this fits in French A1.
By the end of the lesson you will know all about how to ask how are you in French!
Table of Contents
Aller not Être
Before we go into discussing “how are you“, we first have to mention the right verb.
In English, we say “how are you”, but in French they say “how goes it”.
In old English this was more prelevant.
So, before we proceed, just remember the following:
You have to use aller (to go), if you want to ask “how are you” in French.
How are you in French
Two ways of asking “how are you” in French will be mentioned: formal and informal.
Both of these cases will be handled respectively, and examples will be given.
- Formal Way
Comment allez-vous?
How are you?
[lit: How goes it.]
This is the most common way of asking how are you in French.
You can safely use it in any situation.
If you don’t know someone well, or are in some kind of formal/unknown situation then use this one.
- Informal Way
Comment ça va ?
How are you?
You can use this with anyone that you know well (e.g. friends/family/peers).
Ça va ?
How are you?
This is basically a shorter version of the previous example.
You will hear this often as French people love to make words shorter than they actually are.
You can use this with anyone that you know well.
How to Respond
How can you respond after someone asks how you are?
Just as in the chapter before this one, a formal and an informal way will be given
- Formal Way
Here’s a postive and a negative way to respond.
Comment allez-vous? – Je vais bien, et vous ?
How are you? – I am doing well, and you?
Comment allez-vous? – Je ne vais pas bien.
How are you? – I am not doing well.
Generally, it is expected to ask the other person how he/she is doing, so you will ask “et vous?” afterwards.
- Informal Way
Comment ça va? – Ça va bien, et toi ?
How are you? – I’m fine, and you?
You can use “et toi?” to ask the other person how he/she is doing after you have responded.
Ça va? – Ça va, et toi ?
How are you? – It’s going well, and you?
[lit. It goes? It goes, and you?]
Ça va? – Pas terrible.
How are you? – Not great.
You may have heard the following phrase in your French learning books
Comment ça va ? – Comme ci, comme ça.
How are you? – So-so.
Please don’t ever use this.
French people don’t say this.
Somehow every French student is taught this, but French people never actually say this.
Examples Sentences with How to Say How are You in French
The final section of this lesson on how to say how are you in French is about seeing the idiom in action.
This is valuable because you can improve your understanding on how to say how are you in French through examples.
Comment allez-vous ?
How are you?
[lit: How goes it.]
Comment ça va ?
How are you?
Ça va ?
How are you?
Comment allez-vous? – Je vais bien, et vous ?
How are you? – I am doing well, and you?
Comment allez-vous ? – Je ne vais pas bien.
How are you? – I am not doing well.
Comment ça va ? – Ça va bien, et toi ?
How are you? – I’m fine, and you?
Ça va ? – Ça va, et toi ?
How are you? – It’s going well, and you?
[lit. It goes? It goes, and you?]
Ça va ? – Pas terrible.
How are you? – Not great.
Comment vont vos parents ? – Ils vont bien !
How are your parents? – They are well!
Comment va Angèle ? Elle va bien.
How is Angèle? She is doing well.
Quiz Yourself on How to Say How are You in French
At the end of every lesson you can do a small quiz.
You will see the sentences of the previous chapter.
You will either need to fill in the blanks, choose the correct multiple choice option, or both.
Once you are done the correct answer will be shown.
You can redo the quiz as many times as you want.
How to Practice With Flashcards for This Lesson
Using flashcards is an absolute necessity when it comes to learning a language!
It is the best way to memorize what you learn, you can personalize your progression because it adapts to your actions, and all flashcards have audio to improve your hearing and pronunciation.
Please read our article on how to learn a new language for more information on flashcards and the best way to learn a new language.
There are two ways to practice with Flashcards for this lesson.
- Anki
- The Flashcards in our Courses
Anki is a free software with which you can create and practice flashcards.
After you have downloaded Anki for free, you can get our French A1 Anki Deck.
This Anki Deck contains 3,764 flashcards with which you can practice absolutely everything for French A1.
All the flashcards have text, images, explanations, and audio.
You can also use our courses that have flashcards integrated alongside lessons with audio, quizzes and much more!
However, I am sure you are wondering, what are your courses, and why should I take them?
The Courses of Language Atlas
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