nous allons
In French, "we will" is expressed as nous allons.
The phrase is used to express an intention or a plan to do something in the future.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, nous allons means "we are going" and it serves as a construction to indicate the near future.
Which one should you use?
While nous allons expresses a near or certain future, the simple future tense is often used for more distant or formal intentions.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In spoken French, the informal on va is much more common than nous allons to express "we will". Additionally, the phrase Allez, on le fera can be used informally to express determination or to reassure someone, translating to "Come on, we'll do it".
How does it change in a sentence?
When using nous allons to express an intention, it must be followed by the infinitive (unconjugated) form of the verb.
Did you know?
- In many regional French dialects, such as those in Normandy or Burgundy, you might hear a speaker use je instead of nous to mean 'we'.
- Historically, using the singular je to mean 'we' was considered a sign of lower social class and was often mocked by famous playwrights like Molière.
- While nous allons is the standard, the use of on as a replacement for 'we' is so pervasive that it has its own unique singular verb conjugation despite referring to multiple people.
Examples in context
- Nous allons le faire.We will do it.This sentence shows how to use nous allons to express an intention to do something.Tatoeba #4069649 by Amastan, translation #2861824 by Amastan
- Nous allons vous hanter.We will haunt you.This sentence uses nous allons to express a future intent to haunt.Tatoeba #6147081 by sicerabibax, translation #6145894 by RobinvanderVliet
- Nous allons bientôt décoller.We will take off in a few minutes.This sentence uses nous allons to indicate a near future event regarding takeoff.Tatoeba #458208 by sacredceltic, translation #32411 by CC
- 32 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa are discussing their plans for the weekend.
- GabrielNous allons au cinéma samedi.We are going to the cinema on Saturday.
- LéaC'est une excellente idée, Gabriel.That is an excellent idea, Gabriel.
- GabrielNous allons manger après le film.We will eat after the movie.
- LéaD'accord, j'ai très faim.Okay, I am very hungry.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
