What is the meaning of Ça va in English? Ça va is one of the first words you will often hear when you are seeking how to learn French, and as easy as the word is, sometimes we had to rely on French-to-English apps to help us translate them. The expression Ça va pronounced as “sah vah” in English is a common phrase used in day-to-day French conversation. Ça va literally means “it goes” or “that goes”, and is mainly used in casual (informal) conversation in a wide range of situations. However, its most common usage is when you want to ask someone how they are doing, as a shortened form of Comment ça va (how are you)? This article will give you detailed information on the meaning, pronunciation, and twenty ways you can use the word Ça va in conversations.
What is Ça Va in English: Meaning
Like we mentioned in the introduction, the word Ça va literally means “it goes” or “that goes”, but it is often used in everyday conversations to ask or know how someone or something is doing or going. Ça va can be used in different situations including discussions about well-being, problems in the present, problems that will, or might possibly occur in the future, and talking about feelings and opinions. It can be used as a question in form of Ça va? (”Are you okay” or “how are you?”) or also as a reply (”I am fine” or “I am okay”) depending on the tone.
Use Ca Va with Respect
Be careful with how you use ça va. It is important to understand that ça va is used casually or informally to people such as friends, family, but if you need to speak to someone you don’t know well or you only have a formal relationship with, people such as your boss or teacher, you can say “comment allez-vous?” instead, as it means almost the same. As part of the tips to learn French. It is worth mentioning that when using ça va in a negative phrase, the “ne” is removed from the “ne… pas”. This is because, in informal and colloquial settings, the “ne” is not used. **Now let us look at different situations to use Ça va.
Ça Va About Well Being
Ça va can be used to ask about someone’s health or well-being whether they are on a sick bed or just a little bit ill. For example:
- Ça va? (in form of a question)
Translation: How are you? or Are you okay?
- Comment ça va? (a more formal expression)
Translation: How are you? or How are things?
This is a formal expression of ça va. It should be used in professional conversation.
- Ça va bien?
Translation: Are you well?
This expression can be used when we observe that someone is not really active as they would normally be.
- Ça va bien, merci
Translation: I am doing fine, thank you
This is a nice and more complete response to give to someone asking about your health.
- Ça va super.
Translation: I’m doing great.
If you are feeling great after an illness, you can use this response to show that you doing excellently fine.
- Ça va mal
Translation: It is going badly or I am not doing so well.
What of if you are not doing fine? You can respond with Ça va mal to show that you are still not feeling so well.
- Ça va aller
Translation: I will be okay.
This response can be to reassure the person asking about your well-being that you will be okay.
Ça Va About Problems
Ça va can also be used to ask about an incident, or happening that has occurred, occurring presently or in the future in a conversation.
- Nous sommes sous une pression énorme mais ça va bien se passer
Translation: We are under huge pressure but it is going to be fine
- La voiture a heurté la jambe du chien, et je veux demander si ça va maintenant
Translation: The car hit the dog’s leg, and I want to ask if it’s okay now
- Tu obéis à ta mère ou ça va chauffer !
Translation: Listen to your mother or there will be hell to pay!
- Vous vous êtes blessé au dos. Est-ce que ça va?
Translation: You injured your back. Are you okay?
- Ma nièce a cassé mon vase,. Ça va être sa fête.
Translation: My niece broke my vase. She is going to get it.
- Tu obéis à ta mère ou ça va chauffer!
Translation: Listen to your mother or there will be hell to pay!
- Si on laisse Alexandre aller au parc sans avoir fait sa sieste d’abord, ça va mal finir.
Translation: If we let Alexander go to the park without having taken his nap yet, it’s going to end in tears.
Ça Va About Feelings or Opinions
We can also use ça va to express our feelings or opinion to someone. In this way the phrase will be used as part of a sentence. Here are some examples:
- Il a encore loupé son examen, mais ça va lui passer.
Translation: He failed his test again, but he’ll get over it
- Ne pleure pas. Ça va aller.
Translation: Don’t cry. It will be okay.
- Je viens d’acheter un nouveau pull pour toi. Ça va te plaire!
Translation: I just bought you a new sweater. You are going to love it!
- Tu construis toujours ta nouvelle cuisine? Ça va comme tu veux?
Translation: Are you still building your new kitchen? Are things going the way you want?
- Quand tout le monde déménage après l’université, ça va me faire quelque chose.
Translation: If everyone moves after college, things will not be the same anymore.
- Ça va barder.
Translation: It will break loose.
Ça Va with Plural Nouns
Ça va can be used to ask how everyone is doing. As much importance as French places on an agreement, this is one situation when learners can happily throw the rulebook out the window.
So, if there is a whole group of guys at a party and you want to ask how all of them are doing, you can walk in and say:
Ça va les gars? (How is it going guys?)
Notice that les gars is plural, but the verb does not conjugate to agree with this.
Another example situation where ça va can be used in this way is when a parent comes into their daughter’s bedroom to ask how her homework is going:
Comment ça va les devoirs? (How is the homework going?)
Similar Phrases to Ça Va
The table below provides other phrases you can use to mean ça va. The first column gives the sentence with ça va in French, while the second column provides the English translation.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Comment tu te portes? | How do you feel? |
| Comment vous portez-vous? | How are you feeling? |
| Quoi de beau? | What’s up? |
| Quoi de neuf? | What’s happening? |
| Je vais bien | I am doing well |
| Super! | Great! |
| Je suis content. | I am pleased |
| Quoi de nouveau? | What’s new with you? |
FAQ
Is Ça Va formal or informal?
Ça Va is an expression used informally. It is a kind of word you use for people you are very close to, lke your friends, colleagues, siblings and family and so on. Since it is a casual and short form of Comment ça va, it may sound disrespectful if used in a formal conversation or to a stranger whom we do not share any previous relationship with.
What does Ca va tres bien mean?
Ça va tres bien means “I am doing very well”, or “Its going very well”. Its an assurance expression you may use when responding to a question like ça va?, or Comment va le boulot? (How’s work going?) or Comment ça va? (How are you doing?), and other questions like that.
Time to Ask Your Neighbor Ça Va
Ça va is one of the first phrases you will learn in the French language and it is an informal expression that can be used in a wide range of situations, such as asking for someone’s well-being, discussing an issue, sharing an opinion or idea, etc. There are unlimited ways to use this phrase in french conversations. A more formal expression to ça va is “comment ça va” which can be used in formal settings. Knowing how well to use ça va in conversations will really help you in your French language knowledge because the phrase is one of the basic foundations of sentences used in daily activities in French.
Also, as part of the basics in French, you can also read our blog on days of the Week in French, which is important for you to construct easy sentences and settle quickly in a francophone country. To develop your French communication skills, we recommend you that AmazingTalker is an affordable online platform with thousands of friendly, dedicated, and qualified online French tutors who can assist you in learning the French language easily, efficiently, and quickly, and you would be speaking French like a native in a short time.
