aller
/a.le/
The English phrase "be going to" is expressed in French using the verb aller.
In French, you express future intent or the equivalent of "be going to" by using a conjugated form of aller followed by an infinitive verb.
Meaning: will (future tense) (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The verb aller literally means "to go".
Which one should you use?
While English uses "be going to" to express future intent, French uses the conjugated form of aller plus an infinitive to achieve the same effect.
How does it change in a sentence?
The 'we' form of the 'be going to' construction uses 'allons' followed by an infinitive.
How do you pronounce it?
/a.le/
Did you know?
- The verb aller is a linguistic 'chimera' because its modern forms are actually a blend of two different Latin verbs, vado and 'eo', which were merged during the evolution of Old French.
- The phrase ça va uses aller to ask if things are 'going' well, but it can also be used as a response to mean 'I am fine' or 'that is enough'.
- French has a specific expression Y aller, which can mean 'to go there' or simply 'to get started' or 'go for it' in a motivational sense.
Examples in context
- Vas-tu aller à la fête ce soir ? Sinon, allons voir un film.Will you be going to the party tonight? If not, let's go watch a movie.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use aller when asking about future plans.Tatoeba #8943538 by lbdx, translation #3576840 by DostKaplan
- Je vais manger.I am going to eat.
- Elle va étudier le français.She is going to study French.
- Nous allons voyager cet été.We are going to travel this summer.
- Je vais aller au supermarché.I am going to go to the supermarket.
- Nous allons aller au restaurant demain.We are going to go to the restaurant tomorrow.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “be going to” translations and entries aller, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aller, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
