How Are You In French

English Phrase	French Phrase	Usage
How are you?	Comment ça va ?	Informal
How are you?	Comment allez-vous ?	Formal
Are you well?	Vous allez bien ?	Formal
How’s it going?	Ça va ?	Informal
What’s new?	Quoi de neuf ?	Informal
How are you feeling?	Comment vous sentez-vous ?	Formal
How are you?	Comment vas-tu ?	Informal

Variations and Expressions

While the phrases mentioned above are the most common ways to ask “How are you?” in French, there are several other variations and expressions you can use:

Asking About Specific Aspects

• Comment se passe ta journée ? – How’s your day going?
• Comment était ta soirée ? – How was your evening?
• Comment s’est passé ton week-end ? – How was your weekend?

Expressing Concern

• Comment te sens-tu ? – How are you feeling? (informal)
• Comment vous sentez-vous ? – How are you feeling? (formal)
• Ça n’a pas l’air d’aller – You don’t look like you’re doing well

Asking About Health

• Comment vas-tu aujourd’hui ? – How are you today?
• Comment vous portez-vous ? – How are you doing?
• Comment allez-vous aujourd’hui ? – How are you doing today?

Idiomatic Expressions

• Quoi de beau ? – What’s up? (literally “What’s beautiful?”)
• Quoi de neuf ? – What’s new?
• Ça roule ? – How’s it going? (literally “Is it rolling?”)

Responding to “How Are You?”

When someone asks you how you are in French, here are some common and appropriate responses:

• Bien, merci – Good, thanks
• Ça va bien, et toi ? – I’m doing well, and you?
• Pas mal – Not bad
• Comme ci, comme ça – So-so
• Tout va bien – Everything is fine
• Je ne vais pas bien – I’m not doing well
• Ça pourrait être pire – It could be worse

Table with Wikipedia Link

For more information on greetings and polite expressions in French, you can refer to the Wikipedia article on French grammar.

FAQ Section

Q: How do you say “How are you?” in French?
A: You say Comment ça va? for informal situations or Comment allez-vous? for formal situations.

Q: What is the informal way to ask “How are you?” in French?
A: The informal way is Comment ça va? or simply Ça va?.

Q: What is the formal way to ask “How are you?” in French?
A: The formal way is Comment allez-vous?.

Q: How do you respond to “How are you?” in French?
A: Common responses include Bien, merci! (Good, thanks!) or Ça va bien, et toi? (It’s going well, how about you?).

Q: Can you ask about specific aspects of someone’s day in French?
A: Yes, you can ask about specific aspects, such as Comment se passe ta journée? (How’s your day going?) or Comment était ta soirée? (How was your evening?).

Q: Are there any idiomatic expressions to ask “How are you?” in French?
A: Yes, there are some idiomatic expressions like Quoi de beau? (What’s up?) and Ça roule? (How’s it going?).