Salutations
Primary 1 · French
Salutations
Lesson 4 of 4
12 min
It is break time. Keza meets her friend Ishimwe.
Keza wants to know: is Ishimwe well today?
In French, she asks with two small words.
Ça va ? means How are you? (In Kinyarwanda: Amakuru?)
You can also say Comment ça va ? It means the same.
Merci means thank you. (In Kinyarwanda: Murakoze.)
Be a kind friend. Ask back: Et toi ? (And you?)
Keza : « Salut, Ishimwe ! Ça va ? »
Ishimwe : « Ça va bien, merci. Et toi ? »
Keza : « Ça va très bien ! »
Très bien means very well.
Smile wide and say iii. You hear it in merci, midi, il.
The French u is a new sound. It is NOT the u of Kinyarwanda.
Say iii. Keep your tongue still. Now make your lips small and round, like a whistle. That is the French u: tu, salut, une.
Say these pairs. Smile, then round your lips:
Play with a friend. Make a happy face, a so-so face or a sad face.
Tip
Play ping-pong with words
Your friend sends you Ça va ? You answer, then send it back: Et toi ?
Say your answer out loud first, then tap Show answer to check.
Ishimwe asks you « Ça va ? ». You feel great. What do you say?
Answer: Ça va bien, merci !
You answered. Now you want to ask your friend. What two words do you say?
Answer: Et toi ?
You have a tummy ache. Your friend asks « Ça va ? ». What can you say?
Answer: Ça ne va pas.
Smile or round lips? What do you do for the u in salut?
Answer: Round lips, like a whistle.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
Written by Ganzaa.
Quick check
What does Ça va ? mean?
