Learn the question "How are you?" and how to answer it
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| Jessi: How are you? in French |
| Jessi: In each lesson of this 25 part series, you'll master a common question for French learners, and then learn how to answer it like a native. You'll learn how these key phrases work by breaking them down into each component. Then through repetition and new vocabulary, you'll expand your understanding of the question, its answers, and any variations. You'll also improve pronunciation and fluency by repeating the words and phrases out loud after hearing them. |
| Jessi: In this lesson, you'll learn how to respond to the common question "How are you?" In French, this is |
| Ingrid: Comment allez-vous? |
| The first word in the question “How are you?” is |
| Ingrid: Comment |
| Jessi: meaning “How" in English. Listen to it syllable by syllable. |
| Ingrid: (Slow, by syllable) Comment |
| Jessi: Listen again at natural speed. Please repeat. |
| Ingrid: Comment |
| Jessi: This pattern of first introducing a word at natural speed, providing the English translation, breaking it down by syllable, and then giving it once more at natural speed will be repeated throughout the series. Try to speak aloud as often as possible. The next word in the question, How are you? is |
| Ingrid: allez |
| Jessi: meaning something like going in English. Listen to it syllable by syllable. |
| Ingrid: (Slow, by syllable) allez |
| Jessi: Listen again at natural native speed, and repeat. |
| Ingrid: allez |
| Listen to the the first 2 words of the question and repeat. |
| Ingrid: Comment allez |
| And next |
| Ingrid: vous |
| Jessi: meaning you in English. Listen to it syllable by syllable. |
| Ingrid: (Slow, by syllable) vous |
| Jessi: Listen again at natural native speed, and repeat. |
| Ingrid: vous |
| Listen to the entire question and repeat. |
| Ingrid: Comment allez vous |
| Jessi: You will hear this common question again and again throughout your studies. Master the following pattern and responses to the question How are you?? |
| Ingrid: Ça va bien. |
| Jessi: I'm fine.. Again, slowly. Repeat the phrase. |
| Ingrid: (Slow) Ça va bien. |
| Comment |
| adverb |
| n/a |
| Jessi: But let's break it down from the beginning. The first word: |
| Ingrid: Ça |
| Jessi: meaning it. Listen to it syllable by syllable. |
| Ingrid: (Slow, by syllable) Ça |
| Jessi: Again at natural speed. Repeat. |
| Ingrid: Ça |
| Jessi: And next |
| Ingrid: va |
| meaning something like goes. Listen to it syllable by syllable. |
| Ingrid: (Slow, by syllable) va |
| Jessi: Again at natural speed. Repeat. |
| Ingrid: va |
| Jessi: Next is |
| Ingrid: bien |
| meaning well. Listen to it syllable by syllable. |
| Ingrid: (Slow, by syllable) bien |
| Jessi: Again at natural speed. Repeat. |
| Ingrid: bien |
| Jessi: Listen to the speaker say, I'm fine., and then repeat. |
| Ingrid: Ça va bien. |
| Jessi: To expand on the pattern, replace fine with not good. |
| Ingrid: pas bien |
| Jessi: not good |
| Ingrid: (slow) pas bien (regular) pas bien |
| Jessi: Listen to the phrase again, this time with not good |
| Ingrid: Ça va pas bien. |
| Jessi: It mostly stays the same. Simply replace fine. Say I'm not good. |
| Ingrid: Ça va pas bien. |
| Jessi: To expand on the pattern, replace not good with a little bit better. |
| Ingrid: un peu mieux |
| Jessi: a little bit better |
| Ingrid: (slow) un peu mieux (regular) un peu mieux |
| Jessi: Listen to the phrase again, this time with a little bit better |
| Ingrid: Ça va un peu mieux. |
| Jessi: It mostly stays the same. Simply replace the word for not good. Say I'm a little bit better. |
| Ingrid: Ça va un peu mieux. |
| Jessi: To make another phrase, replace a little bit better with not good at all. |
| Ingrid: pas du tout |
| Jessi: not good at all |
| Ingrid: (slow) pas du tout (regular) pas du tout |
| Jessi: Listen to the phrase again, this time with not good at all |
| Ingrid: Ça va pas du tout. |
| Jessi: It mostly stays the same. Simply replace the word for a little bit better. Say I'm not good at all. |
| Ingrid: Ça va pas du tout. |
| Now it's time for a quiz. Imagine you are visiting France and a stranger asks you how you are. You are fine. Respond to the question. |
| Ingrid: Comment allez-vous? (five seconds) Ça va bien. |
| Jessi: Now imagine you are not good Respond to the question. |
| Ingrid: Comment allez-vous? (five seconds) Ça va pas bien. |
| Jessi: Imagine you are a little bit better. . Answer the speaker's question. |
| Ingrid: Comment allez-vous? (five seconds) Ça va un peu mieux. |
| Jessi: Imagine you're not good at all. Respond to the question. |
| Ingrid: Comment allez-vous? (five seconds) Ça va pas du tout. |
| Jessi: You want to learn how the stranger's doing. Ask the question |
| Ingrid: Comment allez-vous? |
| Jessi: Now it's time to answer the question with actual information about yourself. |
| Ingrid: Comment allez-vous? |
| Jessi: This is the end of Lesson 16. |
Comments
HidePlease give us your answer to the question below!
Bonjour Becky et merci pour votre commentaire !
Comment ça va ?
Indeed, in spoken French it's common to forget the negation, when speaking fast.
Je ne vais pas bien, in spoken French becomes "je vais pas bien".
Hope it's clear!
Bonne journée !
Marie Alice
Team FrenchPod101.com
On the last answer, I think I hear the speaker saying --- Ça va pas de tout. --- Rather than, Ça ne va pas du tout. ????
Bonjour Ani !
Merci pour votre message ! Et bravo pour votre apprentissage du Polonais !
Pour ma part j'ai travaillé et je suis allée voir ma famille le week-end ! ?
A bientôt !
Marie Alice
Team FrenchPod101.com
Bonjour ,
J'ai appris un peu polonais dans cette semaine. Et vous ??
Bonjour Ani et merci pour tous vos commentaires !
Je vais bien, merci !
Que faites-vous cette semaine ?
Bonne journée
Marie Alice
Team FrenchP101.com
Bonjour ,
Je vais trés bien , merci ?
Et vous, comment-allez vous ???
Bonjour Marie Alice,
Merci beaucoup. Maintenant mon ami est dans l'hôpital en les États-Unis. (Thank you very much. Now my friend is in the hospital in the United States.)
Bonjour Gloria
Je suis désolée de lire ce commentaire...
Courage !! Je sais ce que c'est d'avoir des proches malades, c'est quelque chose de très difficile.
Je pense bien à vous et à votre ami.
Marie Alice
Team FrenchPod101.com
Je suis un peu fatigée et triste. Je travaille beaucoup dans la maison et aussi je m'occupe a un ami. Deux amis aussi l'aident. Il est malade et il habite dans le quartier. Il ha quatre-vingt-dix-deux ans. Aujourd'hui le fils du mon ami lui prend à l'hôpital en les États-Unis.
(Today I am a little tired and sad. I work a lot in my house and I take care of a friend. Two friends help him also. He is sick and lives in the neighborhood. He is 92 years old. Today my friend's son is taking him to the hospital in the United States.)
Salut khadija!
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