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French grammar

Aller in French: je vais, tu vas, on va and making plans

Aller means to go, and it is irregular: je vais, tu vas, il/elle/on va. It takes a destination with au, à la or à l' (je vais au cinéma), and in spoken French on va does the work of we're going. Said with a rising voice, On va au cinéma ? becomes an invitation, and d'accord accepts it.

In short

  • aller is irregular: je vais, tu vas, il / elle / on va. The va in ça va is the same verb.
  • The destination takes au, à la or à l': je vais au cinéma, à la plage, à l'école.
  • on va means we're going in everyday speech (nous allons is the formal, written form). With a rising voice it invites: On va au restaurant ?
  • Tu vas où ? asks where someone is headed, d'accord accepts a plan, and demain or ce soir sets the time.

Going places

«je vais» — I'm going (zhuh VAY). Then French swallows a word: à + le fuse into «au» (oh): «Je vais au cinéma» — I'm going to the movies. Feminine (la) words keep both pieces — «à la gare» — but «le» never survives after à.

  • Je vais au cinéma

    I'm going to the movies

  • Je vais au parc

    I'm going to the park

  • Où est le musée ?

    where is the museum?

  • Je vais à la gare

    I'm going to the station.

  • Je vais à la plage

    I'm going to the beach

Ask where they're headed

«tu vas» — you're going (tu VAH — the same va that's been in «ça va» all along). The question, street-style: «Tu vas où ?» — where are you going? Any «je vais…» you own is an answer.

  • Tu vas où ?

    where are you going?

  • Tu vas au cinéma ?

    Are you going to the movies?

  • Tu vas au musée ?

    are you going to the museum?

  • Il n'y a pas de plage

    There's no beach.

The plan-maker

«on va» — we're going (ohn VAH; real spoken French says on, not nous) — and with a rising voice it INVITES: «On va au cinéma ?» — shall we go to the movies? Seal it with «d'accord» — deal (da-KOR, de + accord squeezed). And «demain» — tomorrow (duh-MAN).

  • On va au cinéma demain ?

    shall we go to the movies tomorrow?

  • D'accord

    okay — deal

  • On va à la plage demain ?

    Shall we go to the beach tomorrow?

  • On va au restaurant ?

    shall we go to the restaurant?

  • Je vais à l'hôtel

    I'm going to the hotel

Tonight

«ce soir» — tonight — literally 'this evening': the «soir» you've had since «bonsoir». «On va au restaurant ce soir ?» Tomorrow's plans are good; tonight's are better.

  • On va au restaurant ce soir ?

    shall we go to the restaurant tonight?

  • Je vais au restaurant ce soir

    I'm going to the restaurant tonight.

  • On va à la gare demain ?

    shall we go to the station tomorrow?

  • Je vais au cinéma ce soir

    I'm going to the movies tonight

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