je vais à l'école
The English phrase "I go to school" is translated into French as je vais à l'école.
This phrase is used to say that someone attends an educational institution.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase je vais à l'école literally translates to "I go to the school".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Québec, some might say Je m'en vais à l'école to emphasize the act of going.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase je vais à l'école, the verb vais is the first-person singular present indicative form of aller (to go).
Did you know?
- The word école is a distant relative of the English word 'scholar' and 'school', both deriving from the Greek skholē, which ironically meant 'leisure'.
- French has a specific distinction between l'école for primary education and le collège or le lycée for older students, making je vais à l'école sound childish to teenagers.
- The preposition à is a linguistic 'hybrid' from the Latin era. It is actually a merger of two different Latin prepositions, 'ad' and 'ab', which were combined into a single functional tool in Old French.
Examples in context
- Je vais à l'école.I go to school.This sentence is useful for stating the basic fact of going to school with je vais à l'école.Tatoeba #4594414 by sacredceltic, translation #472089 by tamsanh
- Je vais à l'école à pied.I go to school on foot.This sentence shows how to add that you travel on foot using je vais à l'école.Tatoeba #351410 by Barbiche0, translation #261668 by CK
- Je vais à l'école avec lui.I go to school with him.This sentence demonstrates how to say you go to school with someone else using je vais à l'école.Tatoeba #127625 by Barbiche0, translation #260198 by CK
- Je vais à l'école tous les jours.I go to school every day.
- Je me rends à l'école en bus.I go to school by bus.
- Je vais à l'école avec mes copains.I go to school with my friends.
- Je vais à l'école tous les jours, sauf le week-end.I go to school every day, except on weekends.
- Je m'en vais à l'école en ce moment.I am going to school right now.
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Léa are talking about their morning routine.
- NathanJe vais à l'école maintenant.I am going to school now.
- LéaD'accord, bonne journée Nathan!Okay, have a good day Nathan!
- NathanMerci, toi aussi Léa.Thanks, you too Léa.
- LéaÀ plus tard!See you later!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries je, vais, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
