How Are You in French

Saying how are you in French can take many forms.

Saying How Are You in French

The first thing that is important to understand about saying how are you in French is whether to use the formal (vous) or informal (tu) form of "you". Traditionally, the formal version is used as a sign of respect, particularly when speaking with elders, professors and the like.

This form is also used when conversing with strangers. The familiar tu is used when speaking with friends, or someone younger than you. It is sometimes used among acquaintances although this really depends on the age of the group. Obviously, once acquainted with the elder in question, dropping the formal version, and using the informal version, is perfectly appropriate. Here's a chart that might help:

If you are in a formal setting and have asked one person how are you (comment allez-vous), you can continue to speak formally, and inquire how the third person is doing by asking et vous (and you)?

On the other hand, if in an informal setting with three friends, use the informal version (comment ca va or ca va?) and then ask the third invidual, et toi (and you)?

Responses to Comment allez-vous?

Here are some of the most common ways to respond to the question, comment ça va?

Practicing Formal and Informal Speaking

If your primary language is English, then volleying back and forth between the formal and informal dialogue of French can feel a bit confusing at first, but it doesn’t have to be. Even though there’s no formal version of "you" in English, just try to keep in mind the respect most show to those that are elderly.

In a nutshell, it’s really just another way of expressing common courtesy to another. A great way to practice is to make friends with a fellow student that is older, and one that is within your age group. This will make it much easier for you slip in between the two forms, and doing so means that pretty soon, you’ll be navigating the two with relative ease.

Learn More French Phrases

You can learn even more French phrases by visiting E Languages School. This site walks you through all the basic French words and phrases, form the alphabet to grammar. There are even practice exercises to help you nail down the dialogue of some of the more common situations, for example, ordering in a restaurant, or greeting friends.

Additionally, another great component of their lesions is the fact that you can listen to audio. Once that’s done, practice mimicking the automotive voice as it can greatly help in your pronunciation.

Another good way to practice is to watch some French videos on you tube. One of the better French videos on the site is called Basic French Lesson 1. This video shows you different types of situations and different types of food, all while scrolling the French words at the bottom of the screen. The combination of pictures and sounds makes it fairly easy to pick up the language. Keep in mind, however that this video will truly only walk you through the very basic French words, but it’s a great way for beginner’s to learn.

Putting It All Together

The best way to go about learning the basic greeting of "how are you," is to first learn the grammatical rules. Once that doesn’t, move on to vocabulary, practicing what you’ve learned. Don’t be fooled into thinking that you can learn the rules, keep the weeks in your head, and never say them out loud. Doing this means that you’ll quickly become confused when you are actively taking part in a French conversation. Instead, find a like-minded individual or two and volley-back and forth between the formal and the in formal, so that it can become second-nature and automatic.

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