Going Places: The Verb 'To Go' (aller)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
The verb 'aller' means 'to go' and is essential for travel, plans, and the near future tense.
- Aller is highly irregular: Je vais, tu vas, il va, nous allons, vous allez, ils vont.
- Use 'aller' + 'à' + location to say where you are going (e.g., Je vais à Paris).
- Use 'aller' + infinitive to talk about the near future (e.g., Je vais manger).
Overview
In French, the verb aller stands as an indispensable linguistic tool, frequently ranked among the most essential verbs alongside être (to be) and avoir (to have). Its core meaning, “to go,” transcends mere physical movement, extending to expressions of well-being, states of existence, and, crucially, the construction of the futur proche (near future) tense. Mastering aller is fundamental for A1-level learners, providing the bedrock for basic communication about location, health, and immediate intentions.
What makes aller particularly challenging yet fascinating is its profound irregularity and suppletive nature. Unlike most verbs that follow predictable patterns, aller draws its conjugations from multiple historical origins, resulting in forms that appear disconnected from its infinitive. This characteristic necessitates direct memorization but, once understood, unlocks a vast range of communicative possibilities.
Its versatility makes it ubiquitous in daily French exchanges, from simple greetings to indicating destinations and future actions.
Conjugation Table
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | IPA (Approx. Pronunciation) | English Translation | Example Sentence | Meaning | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| :---------------- | :------------ | :---------------------------- | :---------------------------- | :------------------------------ | :------------------------------ | ||
je |
vais |
/vɛ/ (veh, silent 's') | I go / I am going | Je vais au travail. |
I'm going to work. | ||
tu |
vas |
/va/ (vah, silent 's') | You go / You are going | Tu vas à la plage. |
You're going to the beach. | ||
il/elle/on |
va |
/va/ (vah) | He/She/One goes / is going | Elle va à l'école. |
She's going to school. | ||
nous |
allons |
/za.lɔ̃/ (noo-za-lõ) | We go / We are going | Nous allons au restaurant. |
We're going to the restaurant. | ||
vous |
allez |
/za.le/ (voo-za-leh) | You go / You are going | Vous allez bien ? |
Are you doing well? | ||
ils/elles |
vont |
/vɔ̃/ (eel-võ, silent 't') | They go / They are going | Ils vont à Paris. |
They're going to Paris. |
How This Grammar Works
Aller is classified as a suppletive verb, a linguistic term describing verbs that construct their conjugations from two or more historically distinct root words rather than a single, consistent stem. This phenomenon explains aller's profound irregularity and why its conjugated forms, such as vais or vont, bear little resemblance to the infinitive aller itself. It is not an -er verb that simply deviates; it's a composite of different verbs.v- forms (vais, vas, va, vont) are believed to originate from the Latin verb vadere, meaning “to go” or “to walk.” Conversely, the all- forms (allons, allez) evolved from the Latin ambulare, meaning “to walk around” or “to travel,” with influence from ad ire (“to go to”). Over centuries, these separate Latin roots merged into the single French verb aller, retaining their distinct conjugated forms. This historical fusion is why you encounter such a seemingly inconsistent set of conjugations; you are essentially using fragments of different verbs that coalesced into one.aller a powerful and distinct verb, deeply embedded in the structure and sound of French.Formation Pattern
aller in the present tense is defined by its two primary stems: one derived from its historical Latin root vadere (the v- stem) and another from ambulare (the all- stem, closer to the infinitive). You cannot apply standard -er verb endings; instead, you must recognize these stem shifts and their corresponding endings.
v- stem: This stem is used for the singular forms (je, tu, il/elle/on) and the third-person plural (ils/elles).
je, the stem is vai-, taking a silent s ending: Je vais au marché. (I'm going to the market.)
tu, the stem is va-, also with a silent s: Tu vas au cinéma ? (Are you going to the cinema?)
il/elle/on, the stem is va- with no ending: On va à la piscine. (We're going to the pool.)
ils/elles, the stem is von-, followed by a silent t: Elles vont à la bibliothèque. (They're going to the library.)
all- stem: This stem is used exclusively for the first and second-person plural forms (nous, vous). These forms more closely resemble the infinitive aller.
nous, the stem is allon-, with an s that forms a liaison: Nous allons à la montagne. (We're going to the mountains.)
vous, the stem is alle-, with a z that forms a liaison: Vous allez chez vos amis ? (Are you going to your friends' house?)
v- for most forms, all- for nous and vous) simplifies the memorization process. It provides a structural framework for an otherwise completely irregular verb. The endings themselves (s, s, -, ons, ez, t) are also irregular when compared to typical -er verbs like parler (e.g., je parle, nous parlons), further emphasizing the unique nature of aller.
When To Use It
Aller is a highly versatile verb, employed in several critical contexts beyond its literal meaning of physical movement. Mastering these uses is essential for A1 comprehension.- 1Expressing Physical Movement and Destination: This is the most direct application.
Allerindicates movement towards a location. It is almost always followed by the prepositionà(to/at), which then contracts with definite articles depending on the noun's gender and number. These contractions are crucial.
à + le(masculine singular) becomesau:Je vais au parc.(I am going to the park.)à + la(feminine singular) remainsà la:Tu vas à la boulangerie.(You are going to the bakery.)à + l'(before a vowel or silenth) remainsà l':Il va à l'hôpital.(He is going to the hospital.)à + les(plural) becomesaux:Nous allons aux États-Unis.(We are going to the United States.)- Example:
Elles vont au restaurant après le travail.(They're going to the restaurant after work.)
- 1Describing State of Being or Health:
Alleris the standard verb for inquiring about and responding to one's well-being. Here, it translates more accurately as “to be doing” or “to be.” The most common phrase you'll hear isComment ça va ?(How are you doing? / How's it going?).
Ça va bien.(I'm doing well.)Ça va mal.(I'm doing badly.)Ça va comme ci, comme ça.(I'm doing so-so.)- It's an impersonal construction, often using
ça(that/it) orvous(formal you) /tu(informal you) as the subject. Example:Vous allez bien ?(Are you doing well?)Oui, je vais très bien, merci.(Yes, I'm doing very well, thank you.)
- 1Forming the
Futur Proche(Near Future): This is one ofaller's most powerful grammatical functions at the A1 level. Thefutur procheexpresses an action that will happen very soon or in the immediate future. It's formed by conjugatingallerin the present tense, followed directly by an infinitive verb (the unconjugated form of a verb).
- Structure: Subject + conjugated
aller+ infinitive verb. Je vais manger.(I am going to eat / I will eat soon.)Tu vas étudier.(You are going to study / You will study soon.)Nous allons regarder un film.(We are going to watch a movie / We will watch a movie soon.)- Example:
Demain, elle va visiter ses grands-parents.(Tomorrow, she's going to visit her grandparents.) This construction is frequently used in everyday conversation.
- 1Idiomatic Expressions:
Allerappears in several common idioms, even at an A1 level.
Aller à pied: To go on foot, to walk.Je vais au travail à pied.(I walk to work.)Aller faire quelque chose: To go do something. This is a very common structure.On va faire les courses.(We're going to do the shopping.)Aller chercher: To go fetch/get.Il va chercher du pain.(He's going to get some bread.)
When Not To Use It
aller is versatile, it's crucial to understand when its English equivalentConjugation of 'Aller' (Present)
| Subject | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
|
Je
|
vais
|
I go
|
|
Tu
|
vas
|
You go
|
|
Il/Elle/On
|
va
|
He/She/It goes
|
|
Nous
|
allons
|
We go
|
|
Vous
|
allez
|
You go
|
|
Ils/Elles
|
vont
|
They go
|
Meanings
The verb 'aller' is the primary French verb for movement, equivalent to 'to go' in English.
Physical movement
Moving from one place to another.
“Je vais à la plage.”
“Nous allons au travail.”
Near future
Expressing an action that will happen soon.
“Je vais manger.”
“Tu vas dormir.”
State of being
Asking or stating how someone is doing.
“Comment vas-tu ?”
“Je vais bien.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
S + Aller + Destination
|
Je vais à Paris
|
|
Negative
|
S + ne + Aller + pas + Destination
|
Je ne vais pas à Paris
|
|
Question
|
Aller + S + ...?
|
Vas-tu à Paris ?
|
|
Future
|
S + Aller + Infinitive
|
Je vais manger
|
|
Greeting
|
Comment + Aller + S ?
|
Comment vas-tu ?
|
|
Response
|
Ça + Aller + Adverb
|
Ça va bien
|
Formality Spectrum
Je me rends au magasin. (Daily errands)
Je vais au magasin. (Daily errands)
Je vais au magasin. (Daily errands)
Je file au magasin. (Daily errands)
Uses of Aller
Movement
- à la plage to the beach
Future
- va manger is going to eat
Health
- ça va it's okay
Examples by Level
Je vais à l'école.
I am going to school.
Tu vas au parc ?
Are you going to the park?
Nous allons à Paris.
We are going to Paris.
Ils vont au restaurant.
They are going to the restaurant.
Je vais manger une pomme.
I am going to eat an apple.
Elle ne va pas travailler.
She is not going to work.
Allez-vous au cinéma ?
Are you going to the cinema?
On va partir demain.
We are going to leave tomorrow.
Comment allez-vous aujourd'hui ?
How are you doing today?
Ça va aller mieux.
It is going to get better.
Je vais me rendre à la gare.
I am going to go to the station.
Ils vont finir ce projet.
They are going to finish this project.
Il va de soi que nous irons.
It goes without saying that we will go.
Je vais faire en sorte que tout soit prêt.
I am going to ensure everything is ready.
Aller de l'avant est nécessaire.
Moving forward is necessary.
Où que tu ailles, je te suivrai.
Wherever you go, I will follow you.
La situation va en s'aggravant.
The situation is worsening.
Il va falloir agir vite.
It will be necessary to act quickly.
Cette robe te va à ravir.
This dress suits you perfectly.
Aller au fond des choses est son talent.
Getting to the bottom of things is his talent.
Il s'en est allé sans un mot.
He went away without a word.
Aller et venir est son quotidien.
Coming and going is his daily life.
Qu'à cela ne tienne, nous irons.
Never mind that, we will go.
Il va de pair avec la réussite.
It goes hand in hand with success.
Easily Confused
Directionality.
Common Mistakes
Je alle
Je vais
Je vais à le parc
Je vais au parc
Je vais manger demain
Je vais manger demain
Il va de soi que nous irons
Il va de soi que nous irons
Sentence Patterns
Je vais ___.
Real World Usage
Je vais à l'aéroport.
Practice daily
Smart Tips
Use aller + infinitive.
Pronunciation
Vais/Vas/Va
Pronounced like 'vay'.
Rising
Tu vas au parc ? ↑
Yes/No question.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Remember 'Aller' as the 'All-er' (All-er) verb: it takes 'all' your effort to learn because it is so irregular!
Visual Association
Imagine a person running with a suitcase. The suitcase has the letters 'V-A-I-S' written on it. This represents 'Je vais'.
Rhyme
Je vais, tu vas, il va, nous allons, vous allez, ils vont, that's how the French go!
Story
Pierre is going to the market. 'Je vais au marché', he says. He sees his friend and asks 'Comment vas-tu ?'. They decide they are going to eat together: 'Nous allons manger'.
Word Web
Challenge
Write 5 sentences about where you are going today using 'Je vais'.
Cultural Notes
Aller is used constantly in greetings.
From Latin 'adnare' or 'ambulare'.
Conversation Starters
Où vas-tu ce week-end ?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
Je ___ au parc.
Score: /1
Practice Exercises
1 exercisesJe ___ au parc.
Score: /1
Practice Bank
5 exercisesWe are going to the restaurant.
allez / vous / où / ?
Match the pairs:
Il va ___ (to eat) une pizza.
Select the best option:
Score: /5
FAQ (1)
No, it is highly irregular.
Scaffolded Practice
1
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
ir
Spanish 'ir' is even more irregular.
gehen
French 'aller' is broader.
iku
No conjugation by person.
dhahaba
Root system.
qù
Verb does not change.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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