Ten Expressions To Ask How Things Are and Reply in French

Listen to some common phrases to ask someone how they are and a selection of responses to those questions in French.

Watch the video as many times as you need, until you feel you can give the French translations as the video plays!

Now we can see what we’ve learned. Look at the English and see if you can provide the French for these expressions:

Part 1:

How’s things?
How’s it going?
How are you?
Fine, thank you.
And you?

Part 2:

Very good, thanks.
So so.
Not so good.
It’s not going well.
Things are going badly.

Notes on Usage

Formal and Informal Expressions in French

French has two ways of saying ‘you.’ These are vous and tu. In these expressions, we have used vous, which is the form used in formal settings. It is best to start by learning the formal expressions, and then pick up the informal versions later.

You’ll also notice in this list we have included three ways of asking how someone is. The most formal, and the one that is best to use until you are really familiar with someone is Comment allez-vous?

Tu and Vous in French

Read our article to learn more about the usage of tu and vous in French.

Formal and Informal ‘You’

Sentence Builder: Asking How Someone Is

Ça va?
How’s it going? (least formal)

Comment ça va?
How are you?

Comment allez-vous?
How are you? (most formal)

Ça va…
It’s going…

bien.
well.

mal.
badly.

Using Your New Phrases

Question 1

Bonjour! Comment ça va?
Say, “I’m fine thanks.”

Question 2

Comment ça va?
Say, “Not too good.”

Quick Quiz – Written Recall

Can you fill in the blanks to complete the phrases we learned?

Test Yourself

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