Aller (to go) in French

Overview

The verb aller (to go) is one of the most frequently used verbs in French and one of the first irregular verbs you will learn at the A1 level. Despite ending in -er, it does not follow the regular -er conjugation pattern at all — every form is unique and must be memorized.

Beyond expressing physical movement, aller has a crucial grammatical role: it forms the near future tense (futur proche) when combined with an infinitive. Saying je vais manger (I'm going to eat) is often the first way French learners express future actions, making this verb doubly important from day one.

Aller is also used in everyday greetings (Comment allez-vous ? — How are you?) and in many common expressions, making it one of the verbs you will hear and use most often in real French conversations.

How It Works

Present Tense Conjugation

Subject	Conjugation
je	vais
tu	vas
il / elle / on	va
nous	allons
vous	allez
ils / elles	vont

Aller + Infinitive (Near Future)

French	English
Je vais manger.	I'm going to eat.
Tu vas partir ?	Are you going to leave?
Il va pleuvoir.	It's going to rain.
Nous allons voyager.	We're going to travel.

Aller + Preposition

Destination type	Preposition	Example
Masculine country/city	à / au	Je vais au Japon. / Je vais à Paris.
Feminine country	en	Je vais en France.
Plural country	aux	Je vais aux États-Unis.
General place	à + article	Je vais à la boulangerie.

Examples in Context

French	English	Note
Je vais au travail.	I go to work.	Daily routine
Où vas-tu ?	Where are you going?	Question with inversion
Il va bien.	He's doing well.	Health/wellbeing
Comment allez-vous ?	How are you? (formal)	Greeting
Nous allons à la plage.	We're going to the beach.	Destination
Ils vont au restaurant.	They're going to the restaurant.	Au = à + le
Je vais acheter du pain.	I'm going to buy bread.	Near future
On va voir un film.	We're going to see a movie.	On = we + near future
Tu vas en France cet été ?	Are you going to France this summer?	En + feminine country
Ça va ?	How's it going?	Informal greeting

Common Mistakes

Conjugating "aller" like a regular -er verb

• Wrong: Je alle au cinéma.
• Right: Je vais au cinéma.
• Why: Despite its -er ending, aller is completely irregular. Each form must be learned individually.

Using the wrong preposition with destinations

• Wrong: Je vais à France.
• Right: Je vais en France.
• Why: Feminine countries use en, not à. Masculine countries use au, plural countries use aux, and cities use à.

Forgetting the contraction "au"

• Wrong: Je vais à le cinéma.
• Right: Je vais au cinéma.
• Why: À + le always contracts to au. This contraction is mandatory.

Practice Tips

1. Practice the near future by describing your plans: Je vais étudier. Je vais manger. Je vais dormir. This is the easiest way to talk about the future in French.
2. Describe your daily movements: Je vais au travail. Je vais au supermarché. Je vais à la maison. This reinforces both the verb and the preposition patterns.
3. Use aller in greetings every day: Comment ça va ? Ça va bien, merci. It will become second nature.

Related Concepts

• Regular -ER Verbs — aller is an -er verb but irregular
• Near Future — aller + infinitive to express future plans