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Questions & Answers about Comment vas-tu?
What does Comment vas-tu? mean in English?
It translates to How are you? This sentence is used to ask someone about their well-being in an informal context.
How is the sentence Comment vas-tu? structured grammatically?
The sentence begins with comment, meaning how. It then uses the verb vas, which is the second-person singular present form of aller (to go/to be). Finally, tu is the informal singular pronoun for you. This inversion of verb and subject is a standard way of forming questions in French.
Why is tu used instead of vous in this question?
Tu indicates an informal, familiar address. Comment vas-tu? is used with friends, family, or others you know well. Using vous (as in Comment allez-vous?) would be appropriate in formal situations or when speaking to more than one person.
When should I use Comment vas-tu? compared to other versions like Comment allez-vous?
Use Comment vas-tu? in informal settings with people you are comfortable with. Reserve Comment allez-vous? for formal situations or when addressing multiple people, to maintain the appropriate level of politeness.
Why does the subject pronoun come after the verb in Comment vas-tu? instead of before it?
In French, forming a question often involves inverting the subject and the verb. In Comment vas-tu?, the inversion (verb vas coming before subject tu) is what marks it as a question. This is a common pattern in more formal or written French.
How might I respond to Comment vas-tu? in a conversation?
A typical informal response might be Je vais bien, merci. Et toi? which means I'm doing well, thank you. And you? This maintains the same informal tone as the greeting.
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