The French verb aller, meaning "to go," is an irregular verb that follows a unique conjugation pattern. It is commonly used in everyday French and is an essential verb for expressing movement, plans, and intentions. Understanding the conjugation of aller is crucial for French learners to effectively communicate their actions and future plans.
Conjugation of Aller in the Present Tense
In the present tense, aller has a simple conjugation pattern. Here are the conjugations for the different pronouns:
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| je | vais |
| tu | vas |
| il/elle/on | va |
| nous | allons |
| vous | allez |
| ils/elles | vont |
Notice that the stem of the verb, all, remains consistent throughout the conjugations. The ending changes based on the subject pronoun, following a regular pattern. For example, je takes the ending -ais, while nous takes -ions.
Examples in Sentences
Here are some examples of aller in the present tense used in sentences:
- Je vais au cinéma ce soir. (I'm going to the cinema tonight.)
- Tu vas à l'école tous les jours. (You go to school every day.)
- Elle va au travail en vélo. (She goes to work by bike.)
- Nous allons au restaurant ce week-end. (We're going to the restaurant this weekend.)
- Vous allez à la plage souvent ? (Do you go to the beach often?)
- Ils vont au parc demain. (They're going to the park tomorrow.)
Conjugation of Aller in the Past Tense
In the past tense, aller is conjugated differently depending on whether you are using the passé composé or the imperfect tense.
Passé Composé
The passé composé is formed by combining the auxiliary verb avoir with the past participle of aller, which is allé.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| j'ai | allé |
| tu as | allé |
| il/elle/on a | allé |
| nous avons | allé |
| vous avez | allé |
| ils/elles ont | allé |
For example:
- J'ai allé au parc hier. (I went to the park yesterday.)
- Tu as allé à la plage la semaine dernière. (You went to the beach last week.)
- Nous avons allés au restaurant pour fêter notre anniversaire. (We went to the restaurant to celebrate our anniversary.)
Imperfect Tense
The imperfect tense of aller is formed by adding the appropriate endings to the stem all.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| je | allais |
| tu | allais |
| il/elle/on | allait |
| nous | allions |
| vous | alliez |
| ils/elles | allaient |
Examples in sentences:
- Je allais souvent à la bibliothèque quand j'étais enfant. (I used to go to the library often when I was a child.)
- Tu allais à l'école à pied. (You used to go to school on foot.)
- Il allait au travail en voiture. (He used to go to work by car.)
- Nous allions en vacances chaque été. (We used to go on vacation every summer.)
Future Tense and Conditional Mood
The future tense and conditional mood of aller are formed using the auxiliary verb aller itself, creating a compound tense.
Future Tense
The future tense is formed by combining aller with the infinitive of the main verb.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| je | irai |
| tu | iras |
| il/elle/on | ira |
| nous | irons |
| vous | irez |
| ils/elles | iront |
For example:
- Je irai au cinéma demain. (I will go to the cinema tomorrow.)
- Tu iras à la plage pendant les vacances. (You will go to the beach during the holidays.)
- Nous irons en France l'année prochaine. (We will go to France next year.)
Conditional Mood
The conditional mood is formed in a similar way to the future tense, but with slight changes in the conjugation.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| je | irais |
| tu | irais |
| il/elle/on | irait |
| nous | irions |
| vous | iriez |
| ils/elles | iraient |
Examples:
- Je irais au restaurant si j'avais plus d'argent. (I would go to the restaurant if I had more money.)
- Tu irais en vacances si tu avais le temps. (You would go on vacation if you had the time.)
- Nous irions en France si nous parlions mieux le français. (We would go to France if we spoke French better.)
Other Tenses and Moods
Aller can also be conjugated in other tenses and moods, such as the subjunctive and imperative.
Subjunctive Mood
The subjunctive mood is used to express doubt, uncertainty, or a wish. The present subjunctive of aller is formed as follows:
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| que je | aille |
| que tu | ailles |
| qu'il/elle/on | aille |
| que nous | allions |
| que vous | alliez |
| qu'ils/elles | aillent |
For example:
- Il est important que tu ailles au médecin. (It's important that you go to the doctor.)
- Je veux qu'ils aillent au cinéma. (I want them to go to the cinema.)
Imperative Mood
The imperative mood is used to give commands or instructions. The imperative of aller is as follows:
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| tu | va |
| nous | allons |
| vous | allez |
Examples:
- Va te reposer, tu as l'air fatigué. (Go rest, you look tired.)
- Allons au parc ensemble. (Let's go to the park together.)
- Allez plus vite, nous sommes en retard. (Go faster, we're running late.)
Conclusion
Conjugating aller in French requires a good understanding of the various tenses and moods. From the present tense to the future and conditional, and including the imperfect, passé composé, subjunctive, and imperative, aller is a versatile verb that plays a crucial role in expressing movement and plans in French.
FAQ
What is the difference between passé composé and the imperfect tense of aller?
+The passé composé is used to describe a completed action in the past, while the imperfect tense is used to describe an ongoing or repeated action in the past. For example, J’ai allé au cinéma hier (I went to the cinema yesterday) uses the passé composé, indicating a completed action. On the other hand, Je allais au cinéma tous les samedis (I used to go to the cinema every Saturday) uses the imperfect tense to describe a repeated action in the past.
How do I know when to use the subjunctive mood with aller?
+The subjunctive mood is often used after certain verbs, expressions, or nouns that indicate doubt, uncertainty, or a wish. For example, Il est important que tu ailles au médecin (It’s important that you go to the doctor) uses the subjunctive ailles after the expression que tu, which indicates a wish or an importance.
Can aller be used as an auxiliary verb in other tenses and moods?
+Yes, aller is commonly used as an auxiliary verb in the future tense and conditional mood. For example, Je irai au cinéma demain (I will go to the cinema tomorrow) and Tu irais au parc si tu avais le temps (You would go to the park if you had the time) both use aller as an auxiliary verb.
