Conjugating "Aller" in French: Present Tense Guide

The French verb "aller" (to go) is one of the most frequently used verbs in everyday conversation. As an irregular verb, its conjugation can be tricky for learners. Let's explore how to conjugate "aller" in the present tense and see it in action.

Present Tense Conjugation

Here's the conjugation of "aller" in the present tense:

• Je vais (I go)
• Tu vas (You go - singular, informal)
• Il/Elle/On va (He/She/One goes)
• Nous allons (We go)
• Vous allez (You go - plural or formal)
• Ils/Elles vont (They go)

Usage Examples

Basic Movement

"Aller" is commonly used to express physical movement:

• Je vais à l'école. (I'm going to school.)
• Nous allons au parc. (We're going to the park.)

Near Future

In French, "aller" + infinitive is used to express the near future:

• Je vais manger. (I'm going to eat.)
• Ils vont partir demain. (They're going to leave tomorrow.)

Idiomatic Expressions

"Aller" appears in many idiomatic expressions:

• Comment allez-vous ? (How are you? - formal)
• Ça va ? (How's it going? - informal)
• Tout va bien. (Everything's going well.)

Tips for Remembering

• The "je" and "tu" forms are similar: "vais" and "vas".
• The "il/elle/on" form is simply "va".
• The "nous" and "vous" forms follow a more regular pattern: "allons" and "allez".
• The "ils/elles" form is unique: "vont".

Practice using "aller" in various contexts to become comfortable with its conjugation and versatile uses in French conversation.