aller à
The English phrase 'going to' is translated into French as aller à.
aller à is used to indicate movement toward a specific place or destination.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the phrase changes depending on the noun that follows it. When aller à is followed by a masculine singular noun starting with a consonant, the à and the article le contract to form aller au. If the phrase is followed by a plural noun, the à and the article les contract to form aller aux. When followed by a singular noun starting with a vowel or a silent 'h', the article elides to l' to form aller à l'.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying aller à le when referring to a masculine destination. You must use the mandatory contraction aller au instead.
Did you know?
- In French, the phrase 'how are you' is expressed as ça va, which translates literally to 'it goes'. This uses the same verb of movement used in 'going to' a place to describe a state of being.
- The word aller is an etymological outlier in French. Unlike many common verbs that derive clearly from a single Latin root, the origin of aller remains uncertain and does not stem from one predictable source.
- The command allez can be used to tell someone to 'come on' or 'go on' to encourage them even if they are not physically moving.
Examples in context
- J'aime aller à la plage.I like going to the beach.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of aller à with a feminine destination.Tatoeba #8660306 by Julien_PDC, translation #5888156 by mailohilohi
- J'adore aller à la plage.I love going to the beach.Tatoeba #3642579 by sacredceltic, translation #2486613 by CK
- Tom aime aller à la plage.Tom loves going to the beach.Tatoeba #3480897 by Lulantis, translation #4665417 by CK
- Je vais à l'école.I am going to school.
- Elle se rend à la bibliothèque.She is going to the library.
- On part à la plage demain.We are going to the beach tomorrow.
- Je vais faire du shopping cet après-midi.I am going shopping this afternoon.
- 65 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Emma are planning their afternoon in the city.
- GabrielTu veux aller à la bibliothèque ?Do you want to go to the library?
- EmmaNon, je vais aller à la gare.No, I am going to go to the station.
- GabrielTu dois aller à la gare maintenant ?Do you have to go to the station now?
- EmmaOui, je vais aller à la gare pour prendre le train.Yes, I am going to go to the station to catch the train.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aller, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
