What good wind brings you ?
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English Meaning: A friendly expression to ask why someone has come.
English Equivalents: What brings you here? To what/whom do I owe the pleasure?
French Meaning: Formule amicale de bienvenue pour demander à quelqu’un la raison de sa visite.
French Equivalents: Qu’est-ce qui vous amène ? Dites-moi ce qui vous amène. Quel bon vent t’amène ? (Si l’on se tutoie !)
Hello and welcome! What good wind brings you to this blog? 🙂
Today’s expression is one that I find utterly charming, if a little dated, according to some. That said, I have heard people in their thirties and forties use it, and French-speakers always seem thrilled when I use it, so I say ignore the naysayers!
Quel bon vent vous amène ? is a friendly way to welcome people when you’re not sure why they have come, but are nonetheless happy to see them. This is generally used when you know the visitors, but were not expecting them or haven’t seen them for a long time.
While this phrase can also be used ironically, as if to ask “Ok, why are you here?” in an accusatory way, I would argue that it is usually reserved for positive encounters. After all, it was a bon vent (good wind) that brought the person, not a bad one.
It thus follows that you probably won’t hear this from your doctor when you visit! Instead, you may be asked one of the more neutral-sounding alternatives, like Qu’est-ce qui vous amène aujourd’hui ?
However, you will hear it between friends and from those in customer service. When I used to manage the French library at my school, I would use this expression to greet clients with whom I got along well and had not seen for weeks. And let me tell you, they loved it!
As for equivalents, the English expression “To what do I owe the pleasure?” fits the bill with its own charming quality. Like its French counterpart, you may not hear really young people use it, but you will hear it from the other generations!
How to use this expression:
French Context: Salut, Nathalie ! Ça fait longtemps qu’on ne s’est pas vus. Quel bon vent t’amène à la bibliothèque ?
Translation: Hi, Nathalie! It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other. What brings you to the library?
News Article Challenge
Advanced learners, find today’s expression in this interview about a young Frenchwoman who found herself in Prague! The expression is in the article, as well as the accompanying MP3 file, if you’d like to hear it or work on your listening comprehension. Note that it has been adapted from its original form: it refers to the woman in the third person and does not take the form of a question!
https://www.radio.cz/fr/rubrique/tcheque/jadorais-ne-rien-comprendre-au-tcheque
Looking for more French expressions?
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