# How do you do?



## Marieve333

NOTE DE LA MODÉRATION :  Ce fil comprend plusieurs discussions précédentes sur le même thème.
MODERATOR NOTE: This thread combines several previous discussions on the same topic.
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I though that this expression, in French, meant : "comment ça va", but someone just told me it meant "enchanté", and I wanted to have the opinion of native speakers on that subject, since the person who told me this wasn't a native speaker. 

So, how would you say that in French ? 

Thank you.


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## Mani23

Hi,
Of course how do you do = comment ça va, or comment tu vas. Enchanté(e) means nice to meet you


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## fille anglaise

"How do you do" does literally mean "Comment ça va", but I think because of the context it's used in, your friend would be right in translating it as "enchanté".

You say "how do you do" to someone you've just been introduced to, and the reply would be along the lines of "Very well, thank you. How do _you_ do?" It's similar to "Pleased to meet you" but more formal and old-fashioned.


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## Mr Shush

I disagree. "Comment ça va?" would be "How are you?" (polite), "How are you doing?" (more familiar) or "How's it going?" (very informal). "How do you do?", like "Enchanté", is something you would say when introduced to someone for the first time, never to someone you already knew.

Edit: That is, I disagree with Mani23. Fille Anglaise is right.


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## Katemonster

Yes, "How do you do" would be  translated it "enchanté", and certainly NOT "Comment ça va?".

You say "how do you do" to someone you've just been introduced to, but it is NOT correct to reply  "Very well, thank you. How do _you_ do?" 
It is not a question. The response is simply "how do you do".

It is rather formal and old-fashioned.


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## Mr Shush

I wouldn't say it was _that_ formal and old fashioned, although it certainly is more formal than "pleased to meet you". A lot of people still use it.

If anyone's into their westerns, the expression is also the origin of "Howdy" or "Howdy-doody", though it's not used in quite the same way.


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## BMR

How do you do, can be translate in "_Comment allez-vous ?_" or "_Comment vas-tu ?_", but with the difference posted by Katemonster : there is no response waited in english. And a "little" response waited in french (it's not really a true question !).
In this case (comment allez-vous ?), this is the first sentence in a meeting.
A : - Bonjour, Mr. B, comment-allez vous ?
B : - Bien, Mr A, et vous ?

_Enchanté_, is always used in a second time after someone introduced you :
C : - Mr. A. I introduce you Mr. B
A : - Oh, enchanté (enchanté Mr. B de faire votre connaissance).


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## Mr Shush

No, you would never say,

"Hello, Mr B, how do you do?"

unless either Mr B had just said,

"Hello, I'm Mr B."

or Mr C had just said,

"Ah, Mr A, allow me to introduce Mr B."

and even then Mr A would be more likely to say just, "How do you do?"

Typical conversational use:

C: "Mr A, allow me to introduce Mr B."
A: "How do you do?"
B: "How do you do?"
C: "Mr B and I were just discussing the company's plans for the next quarter . . . etc.


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## BMR

Mr Shush said:


> Typical conversational use:
> 
> C: "Mr A, allow me to introduce Mr B."
> A: "How do you do?"
> B: "How do you do?"
> C: "Mr B and I were just discussing the company's plans for the next quarter . . . etc.



In this case, we can translate _how do you do_ by :
- Enchanté, Enchanté  (or : Enchanté, Moi de même)
or - Comment allez-vous, Bien et vous


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## giannid

_How do you do?_ is a question, and means _Comment allez-vous?_
_Enchanté_ means _charmed_.

_Charmed_ and _How do you do_ may be interchangeable at times but I would never translate _How do you do_ as _enchanté_.


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## Mr Shush

In my experience, "enchanté" is far more widely used in French than "charmed" is in English. "Charmed" would most commonly be used by a man on meeting a woman, and would sound very strange coming from one heterosexual man to another. It's not a come-on, but it is slightly and subtly sexually loaded. I don't think the same is true of "enchanté".

Also, you can say:

-Enchanté.
-Enchanté.

But never

-Charmed.
-Charmed.

-Charmed.
-Likewise.

perhaps, but that's Bond movie dialogue more than real life.


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## pieanne

When I have to explain the English "how do you" do to someone I always compare it to some kind of ritual that doesn't correspond to anything the French do or say.
The best I can compare it with is the way the Eskimoes rub eachother's nose...


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## dave73

giannid said:


> _How do you do?_ is a question, and means _Comment allez-vous?_
> _Enchanté_ means _charmed_.
> 
> _Charmed_ and _How do you do_ may be interchangeable at times but I would never translate _How do you do_ as _enchanté_.


 


How do you do? is a fixed expression of course, a sort of ritual and must be translated by : Enchanté.


"How do you do= comment allez-vous" is a classic ESL mistake on the part of French-speaking students, when they've learned that "How are you doing?"= "Comment ça va/allez-vous?" and that questions in English must be asked with do+subject+infinitive, they think that "How do you do"="Comment allez-vous?" CQFD


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## gachette71

Hi.  Could I translate "how do you do" into "bonjour", or could I use it simply to greet someone ?

Thank you.


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## josephboen

"How do you do" can be translated _bonjour _since it is a greeting and we respond with the same: "How do you do." Texans just shorten this to "Howdy!"


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## gachette71

Whithout any question mark then ?
(Thanks for the "howdy", didn't know that expression !)


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## wildan1

To me _How do you do?_ is quite formal a greeting--usually reserved for a first introduction to someone in a formal setting. I don't think most young people would naturally choose to use it.

_Bonjour*, Monsieur/Madame*_ is OK, but not quite the same formal register

How about _Très heureux_ ?

_Howdy!_, on the other hand, is a folksy greeting similar in register to _Salut !_


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## Meumeule

"Salut, ça va ?" or more formal "Bonjour, comment allez-vous?"


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## Chris' Spokesperson

Don't forget that in English when we say 'How do you do' or 'Howdy' or 'How's it going' we do NOT expect an answer whereas in French if you said 'Bonjour, comment allez-vous?' you _would_ expect an answer.

The answer to 'How do you do' is...'How do you do' 

As wildan said it is very common for first introductions but apart from that it would be extremely rarely heard.


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## Lotuselisa

wildan1 said:


> To me _How do you do?_ is quite formal a greeting--usually reserved for a first introduction to someone in a formal setting. I don't think most young people would naturally choose to use it.
> 
> _Bonjour*, Monsieur/Madame*_ is OK, but not quite the same formal register
> 
> How about _Très heureux_ ?
> 
> _Howdy!_, on the other hand, is a folksy greeting similar in register to _Salut !_


 
*I agree with wildan1...*
*You could say: enchanté(e)*


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## honeybfly

Je suis d'accord avec "enchanté(e)" comme on dit "how do you do" plutôt quand on rencontre quelqu'un pour la première fois.


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## luna1500

Bonsoir,

J'ai vu que """"How do you do""" se traduisait par """ENCHANTE""" c'est la première fois que je vois ça. Je voulais savoir à quel moment ou occasion on peut utiliser how do you do. 
tout ce que je sais : enchanté se traduis par "nice to meet you"" ou encore  "" pleased to meet you"" ce qui est plutôt familier.
mais "how do you do" .........euh ..... !! c'est vraiment très intéressant j'aimerais bien on savoir plus. ça m'aidera pour mon examen d'anglais.   

Merci d'avance !!


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## Language Hound

_How do you do?_ is said the first time you meet/are introduced to someone.

See the WR dictionary for more detailed info:


> *how do you do* _interj__formal (pleased to meet you)_ravi de vous connaître _interj_


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## OLN

> c'est la première fois que je vois ça


Ah ? C'est un des premiers trucs qu'on apprenait en cours d'anglais, à mon époque, ou au moins une question à laquelle les profs d'anglais savaient répondre. 

Des informations sur l'usage moderne de "How do you do" ici : http://english.stackexchange.com/qu...eally-answer-how-do-you-do-with-how-do-you-do
Etiquette : http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/greetings.htm
English greetings : http://www.english-at-home.com/speaking/english-greetings/


EDIT : Pendant qu'on est aux dictionnaires : http://www.thefreedictionary.com/How+Do+You+Do "a formal greeting said by people who are being introduced to each other or are meeting for the first time"
et toute une liste ici : http://www.onelook.com/?w=how+do+you+do&ls=b


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## luna1500

[…]

Bon c'est vrai que au collège et lycée je ne faisait pas trop attention ce que le prof d'anglais disait LOL  , et maintenant je suis à fond dedans ahlala...MERCI MERCI à vous 2, c cooL


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## luna1500

honeybfly said:


> Je suis d'accord avec "enchanté(e)" comme on dit "how do you do" plutôt quand on rencontre quelqu'un pour la première fois.




Hi,

Remarque que maintenant "how do you do" ne s'utilise pas trop, enfin,... que je n'entend _*plus*_ personne dire "how do you do",. mes amis NZ, AUST, me disent que "Nice to meet you"" et "pleased to meet you"" est beaucoup _pplluusss_ utiliser que "how do you do".

(((j'ai fais connaissance avec une mormone américaine pour la toute première fois......et elle ne m'a pas du tout dit "how do you do"...!!.....elle m'a répondu "nice to meet you" )))....!!


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## Zoë Rose

Bonjour luna1500

As stated by lotuselisa, the phrase, how do you do, is only used when making introductions in a formal or semi-formal setting. However as you have said, these days,  most people say, pleased to meet you.

May I introduce, Mr Smith: Je vous présente, Monsieur Smith
How do you do, Mr Smith:  Enchanté (_de faire votre connaissance_) Monsieur Smith


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## luna1500

[…]
bonjour, Zoe

yeah yeah yeah I got it , you're right "how do you do" is more formal.  Merci zoe


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## broglet

A Londres où j'habite 'How do you do' est très soutenue et rarement utilisée même dans les situations sérieuses.  Une bonne traduction serait 'Bonjour, comment allez-vous?'


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