Un 5.1
The Verb ‘aller’
The verb ‘aller’ is one of the most frequently-used verbs in the French language. Here, we’ll look at its forms in the present tense.
The Verb ‘aller’ – Le verbe ‘aller’
The forms of ‘aller’, when used on their own, can typically correspond to English forms of the verb ‘to go’. Although ending in ‘-er’, the verb ‘aller’ is irregular, meaning that its conjugations cannot be predicted based on a pattern.
e.g.
|
Present Tense / Le présent – aller |
|||
|
je |
vais |
nous |
allons |
|
tu |
vas |
vous |
allez |
|
il elle on |
va |
ils elles |
vont |
The verb ‘aller’ is also used to describe people’s general well-being. In this usage, the question word ‘comment’ or an adverb are typically used.
e.g.
|
Vous allez comment ? |
How are you? |
|
Oui, elle va bien. |
Yes, she’s (doing) well. |
The verb ‘aller’ is also commonly used with the preposition ‘à’, which indicates the destination.
e.g.
|
Je vais à la piscine. |
I go to the swimming pool. / I’m going to the swimming pool. |
|
Nous allons à la bibliothèque. |
We go to the library. / We’re going to the library. |
When combined with certain nouns, the prepositions ‘à’ and ‘en’ can indicate the means of transport. The verb ‘aller’ often corresponds to English verbs other than ‘go’ in these sentences.
e.g.
|
Ils vont en voiture à la librairie. |
They drive to the bookstore. / They’re driving to the bookstore. |
|
Elles vont à vélo à l’université. |
They bike to (the) university. / They’re biking to (the) university. |
The preposition ‘à’ can act as a preposition of time, a preposition of manner and a preposition of place.
e.g.
|
Je vais à pied à la patinoire à midi. |
I’m walking to the skating rink at noon. |
