When asked ‘Ça va ?’ you probably wouldn’t hesitate before responding ‘bien’ or ‘ça va’. These are the standard responses students are normally taught in class. However, there are other ways of expressing the notion of ‘ça va’ which you can use to vary your responses. One of them is ‘nickel’ (pronounced like ‘quel’). It has several meanings – as a noun it refers to nickel the metal, as an adjective it means ‘spick and span’. It can also mean ‘great’ (similar to ‘génial’ or ‘super’) and can be used in reply to a greeting.

Salut ! Ça va ? | Nickel, merci ! – Hi! How’s it going? | Great, thanks!

J’ai enfin trouvé ma montre ! | Ah, nickel ! – I finally found my watch! | That’s great!

This usage is very familier (informal) so it’s best reserved for friends and familiar acquaintances.

So, the next time you’re speaking to someone, why not surprise them by trying something different?