How Are You In French: 20 Ways To Say It

Do you want to learn how to say how are you in French in less than ten minutes?

The French for “How are you?” is one of the first expressions one learns when studying the language.

It is a useful expression that starts conversations and conveys concern for the person you are talking to. 

How Are You In French: 20 Ways To Say It

Here are the various ways to say “How are you?” in French to further help you master this beautiful language. 

Common Ways to Say “How Are You?” in French

Comment allez-vous ? – How are you?

This is a well-known French phrase. It’s always one of the first few sentences that a beginner learns when studying French. It translates to “How are you?”

This is likely the safest and most courteous way to inquire about someone’s well-being, as it may be used in many situations including when speaking to a group.

Comment ça va ? – How’s it going?

This is how you ask what your friends and family are up to. This is a less official, more informal manner of asking someone how they are doing, and it should only be used with people you know.

Ça va ? – How’s it going?

“Ça va?” is a more concise form and a pretty informal way of inquiring, “How are you?”  It is comparable to asking someone, “What’s up?” in English.

It can be used in a variety of situations and is not limited to family and friends. This term literally means “does it go?” in English.

Vous allez been ? – Are you well?

This phrase is used with people you know well and want to check in with beyond a “how are you?”

Tu vas bien? is the informal version of this expression.

Other Ways to Ask “How Are You?” in French

Qu’est-ce que tu fais? – What are you up to?/What are you doing?

In French, this statement means “what are you doing,” but it can also signify “what are you up to.” It’s a phrase that’s used casually among relatives and friends.

Que fais-tu? is the abbreviated version. This roughly translates to “what do you do.” This is another casual expression that you can use with close friends and family.

Qu’est-ce qui se passe  – What’s happening?

While this isn’t a widely used expression, it can be used in a casual setting with a close friend. In some scenarios where you observe someone is frightened, stressed, or isn’t feeling well, it’s a question that’s akin to “what’s up?” or “what’s happening?”

Shorter  ways of asking “How Are You Doing” In French

Here are a few instances that don’t exactly translate as “how are you,” but communicate the same concern and might be used instead of “how are you.”

• Ça va bien? – Things are OK?

• Qu’est-ce qui se passe dans ta vie? – What’s going on in your life ?

• Raconte-moi un peu ce qui se passe pour toi… – Tell me a bit what’s up with you? 

• Tout se passe bien (avec ton boulot? – Everything good (with work)?

• Tu vas bien? – You’re doing OK?

Casual/Colloquial ways of saying how are you in French

We next go on to more casual and colloquial terms that are used in everyday French.

Quoi de neuf ? – What’s new?

This one works well with close friends or An expression that directly translates to “What’s new?” or “How are you?”, is one of the most common, informal ways to inquire about someone’s well-being. 

Ça gaze ? – What’s up?

This term may seem a little out of date to some. If you use it with the French, though, it could be a good chuckle or a discussion starter – they could be shocked that you know this one!

This is a very informal expression that should only be used with relatives and friends.

Ça roule ? – It’s rolling?

This is another informal manner of inquiring about someone’s well-being. This expression can also be used to inquire about the progress of a certain circumstance, such as someone working on a project or studying. 

Quoi de beau ? – What’s beautiful?

This may appear to be an odd statement, but the French have a penchant for using the word beau in a variety of contexts. This informal term has a positive connotation: you’re essentially inquiring about all the nice things that are going on in someone’s life.

How are you in French for those who are sick

If you know that someone has been unwell or was going through something (like having difficulty with school or work, heartbroken, etc), the following expressions may be used to ask how they are or how they’re going.

Comment vous sentez-vous  – How are you feeling?/How do you feel?

Comment tu te sens? is an informal form of this expression that can be used with friends and family.

This is an excellent expression to use when you want to inquire about how someone is feeling. This phrase is used in more formal situations or when more than one person is being asked. When asking someone whether they’re feeling better, it’s used to convey concern.

More expressions you can use if you want to check on somebody’s health or well-being:

• Ça va ? – You’re doing OK?

• Ça ne va pas ? – Is something wrong?

• Qu’est-ce qui ne va pas ? – What’s wrong?

• Comment vous sentez-vous ? – How are you (feeling)

• Qu’est-ce qu’il-y-a ? – What’s going on?

• Qu’est-ce qui se passe ? – What’s going on?

This is what you ask if you know someone is unwell or recovering. 

How to Respond to “How are You?” in French

Now that you know how to ask how someone is doing, here are the usual responses for the ways to ask “How are you” in French that we discussed. 

• Assez bien – “Well enough” or “quite well”

• Bien, merci ! – “Good, thanks!”

This is the standard response to the question, “How are you?” ” in French. It’s courteous and keeps the conversation moving forward.

• Ça va – “It goes”

This is another standard response to “how are you?”, the ideal answer to “comment ça va ?” or “ça va?”. It’s short and to-the-point, but polite enough to use in most settings.

• Ça pourrait être pire – “it could be worse”

This is what you say if you want to be a little more realistic or even amusing in your response.

• Ça roule – “It rolls”

This is the response to ça roule ? 

• Comme ci, comme ça – “Okay”

This is a great response to let the individual with whom you’re conversing know that everything is well.

• Comme d’hab – “Same as always”

• Je n’ai pas à me plaindre – “I’ve got nothing to complain about”

If you’re in a pleasant mood, this is the response.

• Pas mal – “Not bad”

If you want to be a little more ambiguous or down to earth in your response, this is how you should respond.

• très bien, merci – “very well, thanks.”

• Tout va bien – “All good” or “all goes well” 
  

Want to learn more French phrases? Check out our language guides below:

• Good Morning In French: Rules And Tips
• Have A Great Day In French
• Happy Birthday In French
• Weather In French
• 8 Ways To Say “I like you” In French
• How To Say I Miss You In French
• 10+ Ways To Say I Love You In French