Lesson 1.03 Comment allez-vous?

In French, there are two pronouns for the word you. These pronouns are tu and vous.

Tu is informal and singular. Vous is formal, and it can be singular or plural.

Use tu when speaking to:

• a friend
• a family member
• someone your own age

Use vous when speaking to:

• an adult
• a person in authority
• someone you just met
• more than one person (even if you would normally use tu with these people)

In French, there are several ways to ask "How are you?". Use the audio controls to listen to each question.

When using the pronoun tu:

1. Comment vas-tu?

2. Comment ça va? ("tu" is implied)

3. Ça va? ("tu" is implied)

 

When using the pronoun vous: Comment allez-vous?

 

When asking the question "What is your name," there are two possibilities.

1. Using the pronoun tu: Comment t'appelles-tu?

2. Using the pronoun vous: Comment vous appelez-vous?

 

When responding to the question "How are you," there are many possible answers. Use the audio controls to listen to each response.

Mood	Meaning	Response
	Je vais très bien.	I'm doing very well.
	Je vais bien.	I'm doing well.
	comme-ci, comme-ça	ok / so-so
	Je vais mal.	I'm not doing well.
	Je vais très mal.	I'm doing very badly.

Why "France"?

About 750,000 years ago, cave dwellers lived in the land we now know as France. In the year 2000 B.C., Celtic tribes began invading northwest Europe. The Celts migrated from the east to what is now the country of France, and they established numerous territories along the way. The Romans later named these territories Gaul. Today, French schoolchildren are taught to refer to the Gauls as their ancestors.

From 58 B.C. to 51 B.C., Julius Caesar led an army of Roman troops in battle against the Gauls, known as The Gallic Wars. Caesar described this event with his three famous words, "Veni, vidi, vici." (I came, I saw, I conquered.) In reality, it was not as easy as Caesar made it seem. The Gauls put forth a strong resistance under the leadership of an Arverni warrior named Chief Vercingetorix. Although Vercingetorix was executed by the Romans, his leadership and bravery still remain as a source of pride for the French. Gaul became a part of the Roman Empire for the next four hundred years, and the French view this as an integral and proud part of their history.

From 481 to 511 A.D., Clovis served as the leader of a Germanic tribe known as the Franks. This tribe took control of Gaul by defeating the Romans, and they gave the land a new name - France. Clovis is considered to be the first king of France. He adopted Christianity as the religion of the country, and he established a new capital in the city of Paris.