{"id":119894,"date":"2023-04-20T16:40:54","date_gmt":"2023-04-20T20:40:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/ca-va\/"},"modified":"2025-06-09T05:29:21","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T09:29:21","slug":"ca-va","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/french\/ca-va\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00c7a Va: 10 Common Ways to Use This Expression"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00c7a va\u00a0<\/em>is one of the first things you will encounter as a d\u00e9butant\u00a0<\/em>(a beginner<\/a>) in French. Ca va\u00a0<\/em>is common and versatile, <\/strong>and it’s used in a variety of different ways in French.<\/p>\n

So let’s take a look at this small but mighty expression.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Straightforward Meaning of \u00c7a Va<\/em><\/h2>\n

The literal translation of \u00e7a va<\/em><\/strong> is “it goes” or “that goes.”<\/p>\n

This expression is most commonly used to ask how someone is doing, even if you’re not necessarily expecting a reply.<\/p>\n

Salut, \u00e7a va ? <\/em>(Hi, how are you? \/ How are things? \/ How is it going?)<\/p>\n

This expression is informal<\/strong>, so you wouldn’t really use it for people you’d address with <\/a>vous<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>(you\u2014formal\/plural) rather than tu <\/em>(you\u2014informal\/singular).<\/em><\/p>\n

I will be using the latter for the rest of the article<\/strong>, as well as occasionally dropping the ne <\/em>in the negative, which is often done in informal conversations.<\/p>\n

\u00c7a Va<\/em> as a Response<\/h2>\n

\u00c7a va<\/em> in the positive<\/h3>\n

If someone asks you how you’re doing, you can simply respond with \u00e7a va\u00a0<\/em>in a neutral or positive tone of voice <\/strong>(if you are feeling that way, of course):<\/p>\n

\u00c7a va. <\/em> (I am fine. \/ Everything is good.)<\/p>\n

You can also add a positive adverb such as bien \u00a0<\/em>(well<\/a>):<\/p>\n

\u00c7a va bien. <\/em>(Things are going well.)<\/p>\n

\u00c7a va<\/em> in the negative<\/h3>\n

Many French learners think that the expression comme si, comme \u00e7a \u00a0<\/em>(like this, like that) is the appropriate thing to say if you’re feeling “so-so.” While this is understandable to French native speakers, it’s not really used that often.<\/p>\n

You are more likely to hear \u00e7a va<\/em>\u00a0in the positive form but spoken in a tone of voice that indicates the speaker is not feeling wonderful<\/strong> for whatever reason.<\/p>\n

If you want to be more explicit about your negative feeling, you can simply respond with:<\/p>\n

\u00c7a va pas. <\/em> (Everything is not good.\/I am not okay.)<\/p>\n

In writing, you would say: \u00c7a ne va pas<\/em>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Another way to express this by using the adverb mal \u00a0<\/em>(badly).<\/p>\n

\u00c7a va mal. <\/em> (Things are not going well.)<\/p>\n

\u00c7a Va<\/em> and Fashion<\/h2>\n

Does this dress make me look fat?<\/p>\n

Aller \u00e0 (qqn<\/a>)<\/em> is used when you want to say that an item of clothing<\/a> suits or looks good on somebody.<\/p>\n

Let’s imagine that I have just walked out of a fitting room in a rather becoming pair of trousers. We are close friends (i.e., we use tu)<\/em> and you want to compliment me on my astute fashion sense by saying, “Hey, those trousers look great on you!”<\/p>\n

In which case, you can say:<\/p>\n

\u00c7a te va bien ! <\/em> (That really suits you!)<\/p>\n

Or if you think I look hideous but want to be polite and honest:<\/p>\n

\u00c7a te va pas. <\/em> (That does not suit you.)<\/p>\n

Using \u00c7a Va<\/em> to Call in Sick<\/h2>\n

Whether you are too tired the next day after an exhausting trouser shopping spree or are genuinely feeling a bit under the weather<\/a>, there are two nifty expressions you can use, especially if you need to call out of work:<\/p>\n

Je ne me sens pas bien. <\/em> (I do not feel well.)<\/p>\n

\u00c7a ne va<\/strong> pas. <\/em> (I do not feel well.)<\/p>\n

Let’s look at a possible exchange between you and your boss:<\/p>\n

Boss: Bonjour \u00a0__, c’est tr\u00e8s t\u00f4t, \u00e7a ne va pas ? <\/em>\u00a0(Hello__, it is very early\u2014is there something wrong? \/ Are you sick?)<\/p>\n

You: Oui monsieur \/ madame, \u00e7a ne va pas du tout. Je crois que j’ai une gastro-ent\u00e9rite. <\/em> (Yes, Sir \/ Madame, I do not feel well at all. I think I have gastroenteritis.)<\/p>\n

Totally in Agreement with \u00c7a Va<\/em><\/h2>\n

\u00c7a va\u00a0<\/em>is also used when you want to know if what you are suggesting is acceptable to someone else.<\/p>\n

You can say it at the start of the sentence:<\/p>\n

\u00c7a va si j’ach\u00e8te cette voiture ? <\/em> (Is it okay if I buy this car?)<\/p>\n

Or at the end of a sentence as a quick confirmation:<\/p>\n

Je veux y aller ce soir, \u00e7a va ? <\/em> (I want to go there tonight\u2014is that alright?)<\/p>\n

Let’s look at some more examples:<\/p>\n

\u00c7a va si je m’assois l\u00e0 ? <\/em>(Is it alright if I sit there?)<\/p>\n

Je peux manger le sandwich qui reste, \u00e7a va ? <\/em> (Can I eat the leftover sandwich\u2014is that okay?)<\/p>\n

If you’re writing in French, you would use \u00e7a te va <\/em> for these examples.<\/p>\n

Everything Will Be Alright Using \u00c7a Va<\/em><\/h2>\n

\u00c7a va<\/em>\u00a0can be used to mean that something will happen.<\/p>\n

The construction \u00e7a va<\/em> + infinitive indicates that something will happen in the future<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Let’s say you are having a really bad day\u2014you got a parking ticket, spilled soda down the front of your shirt before a meeting and dropped your front door key down a deep crack in the sidewalk.<\/p>\n

You are feeling low and decide to share the story of your day with a friend.<\/p>\n

In this situation, they might respond with something like:<\/p>\n

\u00c7a va passer. <\/em>(It will pass.)<\/p>\n

\u00c7a va aller. <\/em> (It will be alright.)<\/p>\n

You can of course alter the meaning to say that something will happen in a negative sense using mal <\/em>(badly) as we have encountered before:<\/p>\n

\u00c7a va mal finir. <\/em> (It is going to end badly.)<\/p>\n

\u00c7a Va<\/em>\u00a0with Plural Nouns<\/h2>\n

\u00c7a va<\/em>\u00a0can be used to ask how everyone is doing.<\/p>\n

As important as agreement is in French, this is one situation when learners can happily throw the rulebook out the window<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

So, if there is\u00a0a whole group<\/a> of guys at a party and you want to ask how all of them are doing, you can walk in and say:<\/p>\n

\u00c7a va les gars ? <\/em> (How is it going guys?)<\/p>\n

Notice that les gars\u00a0<\/em>is plural, but the verb does not conjugate to agree with this<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Another example situation where \u00e7a va<\/em> can be used in this way is when a parent comes into their daughter’s bedroom to ask how her homework is going:<\/p>\n

Comment \u00e7a va les devoirs ? <\/em> (How is the homework going?)<\/p>\n

Using \u00c7a Va<\/em> to Say Sparks Will Fly<\/h2>\n

There are a few expressions beginning with \u00e7a va<\/em> that indicate that a future situation is going to be difficult or heated<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

You: Mais qu’est-ce qui se passe ? <\/em> (What is happening?)<\/p>\n

Friend: Jean a encore jou\u00e9 un tour \u00e0 Pierre. \u00c7a va barder. \u00a0<\/em>(Jean has played another trick on Pierre. Things are going to get heated).<\/p>\n

\u00c7a va barder <\/em>\/ \u00c7a va chauffer <\/em>(sparks will fly \/ things are going to get heated) build upon what we have already established in terms of using \u00e7a va<\/i> to talk about the future.<\/p>\n

This usage is more advanced because you’re going beyond learning grammar to\u00a0using the language more naturally through everyday expressions.<\/p>\n

Shooting Someone Down (Figuratively) with \u00c7a Va<\/em><\/h2>\n

There are times when someone is being hypocritical and can’t justify what they are saying.<\/p>\n

Maybe your friend is always making fun of how tasteless your baking is when they cannot even bake themselves!<\/p>\n

In English, we might say something like: “That’s rich<\/a> coming from you!” or “You can talk!”<\/a><\/p>\n

You can express this idea in French with \u00e7a va:<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00c7a te va bien ! <\/em> (Figuratively\u2014that is rich coming from you!)<\/p>\n

Notice this is exactly the same turn of phrase as in the point about fashion. It is all about the way you say it here.<\/p>\n

Practicing \u00c7a Va<\/em><\/h2>\n

By now you are hopefully feeling a bit clearer about the multiple uses of \u00e7a va<\/em>\u2014our nifty, all-purpose friend. How can you practice this expression so you can use it yourself?<\/p>\n

You should aim to see \u00e7a va<\/em> used in actual native content for more context<\/strong>. This is the media that native French speakers would consume, like French books<\/a>, music<\/a> and TV shows<\/a>. FluentU<\/a> is particularly helpful for finding authentic French videos.

FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n

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You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app<\/a> or Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a><\/i>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n \"FluentU\r\n

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Before we strike a pose, did you know that the va\u00a0<\/em>in \u00e7a va\u00a0<\/em>is the third-person singular of the verb aller <\/em> (to go)<\/a>?<\/p>\n