As an official diplomatic language, French is endowed with an infinite array of nuance, tenses, implications and poetry…it can take a lifetime to learn (and a few more to fully understand).

But if you just want to get by, the only 4-letter phrase you need to learn is “Ça va”

It’s a question, an answer, a statement, a way of life…and an entire conversation can be had uttering only this expression.

Such an exchange is imagined on this tee shirt which pokes fun at French small talk and provides reassurance that anyone can converse in the intimidating language.