est allé
In French, est allé is the way to say went.
The phrase is the past tense of the verb to go, used to describe the action of moving from one place to another.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using this phrase with a plural subject, the auxiliary verb être and the past participle must change to reflect that plurality, resulting in the form sont allés.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly try to use the auxiliary verb avoir (has) by saying a allé, but this is grammatically incorrect in French.
Did you know?
- The spelling of est is a rare historical survivor that maintains a silent internal 's', a feature almost exclusively shared with the name Jésus-Christ.
- In French, you are not just saying 'went', but are literally saying 'is gone' when using the phrase est allé.
- The past participle allé functions grammatically as an adjective, meaning it must change its ending based on the gender of the person who went.
Examples in context
- Il est allé skier.He went skiing.This sentence shows how to use est allé with the activity of skiing.Tatoeba #3273469 by Micsmithel, translation #3273468 by CM
- Sami est allé skier.Sami went skiing.This sentence demonstrates the use of est allé with a specific name.Tatoeba #8659412 by Micsmithel, translation #7190586 by OsoHombre
- David est allé dîner.David went for dinner.This sentence illustrates the use of est allé to describe going for dinner.Tatoeba #11504385 by Amastan, translation #11503799 by Amastan
- Je me suis rendu au bureau ce matin.I went to the office this morning.
- Elle s'est déplacée vers le nord.She went north.
- Je suis parti à la plage hier.I went to the beach yesterday.
- Tu as bougé sans me prévenir!You went without telling me!
- Elles sont allées au cinéma hier soir.They (feminine) went to the movies last night.
- 419 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon is asking Gabriel about his friend.
- ManonEst-ce que Marc est allé au cinéma ?Did Marc go to the cinema?
- GabrielOui, il est allé voir le nouveau film.Yes, he went to see the new movie.
- ManonIl est allé seul ou avec des amis ?Did he go alone or with friends?
- GabrielIl est allé avec sa sœur.He went with his sister.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries est, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
