French · Everyday Verbs
"to go" in French: aller
aller
To go in French is aller. Present forms include je vais, tu vas, il/elle va, nous allons. On y va means let's go. Aller + infinitive marks the near future.
Leaving a party
Allez, on y va !Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce aller
Say it
ah-LAY
/a.le/
Aller is ah-LAY. Vais and vas sound like veh. Allons is ah-LOHN. Soft French r is not in the short present forms vais/vas/va.
"to go" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| aller | to go Infinitive. | Infinitive. |
| je vais / tu vas / il va | I go / you go / he goes Also "I'm going to…" with an infinitive. | Also "I'm going to…" with an infinitive. |
| on y va | let's go Everyday cue to leave or start. | Everyday cue to leave or start. |
| aller à / chez | to go to À for cities and places; chez for someone's home. | À for cities and places; chez for someone's home. |
How to use aller in real life
- 1Leaving a party
Allez, on y va !
Come on, let's go!
On y va is the classic nudge.
- 2Near future
Je vais aller appeler ma sœur.
I'm going to go call my sister.
Aller + infinitive ≈ going to; the infinitive aller stays visible here.
- 3Travel plan
Nous allons à Marseille demain.
We're going to Marseille tomorrow.
Aller à + city.
Mistakes English speakers make with aller
Incorrect: Je aller à l'école.
Correct: Je vais à l'école.
Conjugate aller; do not leave the infinitive after je.
Incorrect: Aller à chez Paul.
Correct: Aller chez Paul.
Chez already means at someone's place—no à before chez.
Good to know
Ça va ? (how are you) comes from the same verb family as aller. On y va is the soundtrack of French group exits—from dinners, platforms, and meetups.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Leaving a cinema together
ChatPal
Le film est fini. On va y aller ?
The film is over. Shall we go?
You
Oui, mais d'abord je vais aux toilettes.
Yes, but first I'm going to the toilets.
ChatPal
D'accord. Ensuite nous allons prendre un verre.
Okay. Then we're going to have a drink.
You
Parfait. Aller boire un verre me va.
Perfect. Going for a drink suits me.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to go" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to go" in French
How do I say I'm going to…?
Je vais + infinitive: je vais manger, je vais partir.
What does on y va mean?
Let's go / shall we go—very common spoken French.
Aller à or chez?
À for places and cities; chez for a person's home.
Are vais and vas pronounced the same?
Yes, both like veh in standard speech.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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