Question

French Mini-Tutorial: Aller

Answer 1

\({\bf{Aller:}}\) to go. It is used literally, as in indicating a direction or location, but also used to indicate actions that will happen in the near-future. This also happens in English (ex: I am going to do it vs. I will do it)

The conjugation is irregular, so be sure to study this list carefully.

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

ex: Je vais au parc. (I am going to the park/I go to the park)

Several colloquial expressions also utilize aller.

- Comment allez-vous? / Comment vas-tu? (How are you? formal and informal)
- Je vais bien (I am well/I am doing well. Notice that aller, not être, is being used)
- Comment ça va? / Ça va? (How is it going?)
- Ça va (bien/mal, etc.) It's going well/bad, etc. Alternatively, in the negative form: Ça ne va pas bien.

Answer 2

\({\bf{Aller+Infinitives:}}\) This structure can be used to indicate actions occuring in the future, although aller is conjugated in the present tense.

ex: Si les gens interrompent mes tutoriels, je vais frapper un enfant. (If people keep interrupting my tutorials, I am going to punch a child)

As with other verbs, you can form questions with the aller+infinitive structure

ex: (pronoun subjects)
Tu vas jouer ce soir? (non-inverted structure)
Est-ce que tu vas jouer ce soir? (Est-ce que structure)
Vas-tu jouer ce soir? (inverted structure)

ex: (noun subjects)
Le chien va aboyer? (non-inverted structure)
Est-ce que le chien va aboyer? (Est-ce que structure)
Le chien va-t-il aboyer? (inverted structure)

Answer 3

\({\bf{References:}}\)

Rochester, Myrna B. Easy French Step-by-Step, United States, McGraw-Hill Education, 2009, 110-113.

CollinsDictionary for French and English translations

Forvo (https://forvo.com/), a French pronunciation database with samples from native French speakers