Which one should you use?
While je veux aller à is a direct way to state your desire, you may choose different forms depending on the social context. For example, je voudrais aller à (I would like to go to) is a much more polite and common way to express your desire to a stranger or in a formal setting compared to the more direct je veux aller à.
How does it change in a sentence?
The preposition at the end of the phrase changes based on the gender and number of the destination. If the destination is a masculine noun starting with a consonant, à contracts with le to become je veux aller au. If the destination is a feminine noun starting with a consonant, use je veux aller à la. For plural destinations, à contracts with les to become je veux aller aux. Additionally, if you have already mentioned the place, you can replace the destination with the pronoun y by saying je veux y aller (I want to go there), which is placed before the infinitive aller.
Did you know?
- While aller means 'to go', its Latin ancestor alāre is believed by some scholars to be related to the word for 'wing'.
- The word aller is one of the most irregular verbs in French, meaning it follows its own unique rules for conjugation that differ from almost every other verb.
- The French pronoun y used in je veux y aller is a remnant of the Latin word ibi, which specifically meant 'in that place'.
Examples in context
- Je veux aller à Tokyo.I want to go to Tokyo.This sentence shows how to use the phrase with a specific city.Tatoeba #6647 by Cocorico, translation #378556 by CN
- Je veux aller à Paris.I want to go to Paris.Tatoeba #7960202 by Micsmithel, translation #4872600 by Gulo_Luscus
- Je veux aller à Kyoto.I want to go to Kyoto.Tatoeba #8703395 by Julien_PDC, translation #378543 by saeb
- Je souhaite aller à Paris pour mes vacances.I want to go to Paris for my vacation.
- Je souhaite aller à la plage cet été.I want to go to the beach this summer.
- J'aimerais me rendre à Marseille lors de mon prochain voyage.I would like to go to Marseille on my next trip.
- J'aimerais me rendre à la montagne en hiver.I would like to go to the mountains in winter.
- Je veux aller à la soirée samedi.I want to go to the party on Saturday.
- Je veux aller à la piscine demain.I want to go to the swimming pool tomorrow.
- J'ai envie d'aller à la campagne pour me détendre.I feel like going to the countryside to relax.
- J'ai envie d'aller à la boulangerie acheter du pain frais.I feel like going to the bakery to buy some fresh bread.
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their vacation plans at a cafe.
- LéaOù veux-tu partir cet été ?Where do you want to go this summer?
- LucasJe veux aller à Rome.I want to go to Rome.
- LéaC'est une excellente idée !That is an excellent idea!
- LucasOui, j'adore l'Italie.Yes, I love Italy.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aller, je, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
