The verb "aller" is probably the first word you learned for "to go" in French. But just like in English, "to go" can mean so many different things depending on the context! Whether you're going to a place, going on an adventure, or simply going to do an activity, French offers a fascinating array of verbs to express movement and intention. Ready to expand your vocabulary beyond "aller"? Let's dive into 9 different ways to say "to go" in French and master these essential expressions!

The standard 'to go' – aller

The standard verb for 'to go' in French is aller.

As one of the most fundamental verbs in French, aller means 'to go'. It's also highly irregular, making its conjugation a key part of learning French.

Here's how aller is conjugated in the present tense:Je vais (I go)Tu vas (You go - informal singular)Il/Elle/On va (He/She/One goes)Nous allons (We go)Vous allez (You go - formal singular or plural)Ils/Elles vont (They go)

When indicating where someone is going, aller is typically followed by prepositions like à (to/at), en (to/in, for countries/regions/means of transport), or chez (to/at someone's place).

Aller is also crucial for forming the futur proche (near future) tense, similar to 'going to do something' in English. You conjugate aller in the present tense, then add the infinitive of the action verb.

Aller appears in many common French expressions, such as Ça va? (How are you? / Is it going well?) and Allons-y! (Let's go!).

Beyond physical movement, aller is frequently used to talk about one's health or how things are 'going' in a general sense. For example, Comment allez-vous? (How are you?) or Je vais bien (I'm doing well).

💡 * Je vais au marché. (I'm going to the market.)

Nous allons partir en vacances demain. (We are going to leave for vacation tomorrow.)

Tu vas chez ta grand-mère? (Are you going to your grandmother's?)

Elles vont bien, merci. (They are doing well, thank you.)

Allez, on y va! (Come on, let's go!)

The 'to leave' or 'to go away' – partir

The “to leave” or “to go away” – partir

The verb partir is one of the most fundamental verbs in French, meaning “to leave” or “to go away.” It implies movement from one place to another, often with the intention of starting a journey or going to a new destination.

Unlike some English equivalents, partir is generally an intransitive verb, meaning it doesn't take a direct object for the place you are leaving. You simply partir (leave) de (from) a place, or partir (leave) pour (for) a destination.

You'll frequently encounter partir in common expressions like partir en vacances (to go on vacation), partir en voyage (to go on a trip), or partir à l'étranger (to go abroad).

It's important to differentiate partir from quitter. While both can mean “to leave,” quitter is a transitive verb and requires a direct object, meaning you leave something or someone (e.g., quitter la maison - to leave the house, quitter quelqu'un - to leave someone).

As a verb of movement, partir conjugates with the auxiliary verb être in compound tenses like the passé composé. For example, je suis parti(e) (I left).

💡 * Je pars demain matin. (I'm leaving tomorrow morning.)

Nous sommes partis en vacances la semaine dernière. (We left on vacation last week.)

Tu pars d'ici à quelle heure ? (What time are you leaving from here?)

Elle est partie pour Paris. (She left for Paris.)

Ils ne veulent pas partir. (They don't want to leave.)

The formal 'to go to a place' – se rendre

When you need a more formal way to express 'to go to a place' in French, the verb se rendre is an excellent choice. It conveys a sense of purpose or a planned journey to a specific destination.

Unlike the more common and versatile aller, se rendre carries a distinctly formal or administrative tone. It's particularly suitable for official contexts, written communication, or when referring to important, specified destinations.

It's essential to remember that se rendre is a reflexive verb, meaning it always uses a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) before the conjugated verb, which must agree with the subject.

The most common construction for indicating the destination is se rendre à + place. For example, you would say 'Il se rend à la gare' (He is going to the station) or 'Nous nous rendons au musée' (We are going to the museum).

You'll frequently encounter se rendre when discussing official travel, attending appointments, or describing someone's arrival at a significant location, such as a government building, a meeting, or a formal event.

As a reflexive verb, se rendre conjugates with être as its auxiliary verb in compound tenses. For instance, in the passé composé, you would say 'Je me suis rendu(e)', 'Il s'est rendu', or 'Elles se sont rendues', ensuring agreement with the subject.

💡 *Le président se rendra à la capitale pour une visite officielle. (The president will go to the capital for an official visit.)
*Les employés sont priés de se rendre au point de rassemblement. (Employees are asked to go to the assembly point.)
*Nous nous rendons souvent à la campagne le week-end. (We often go to the countryside on weekends.)
*Où vous rendez-vous cet après-midi ? (Where are you going this afternoon?)
*Elle s'est rendue à l'ambassade pour renouveler son passeport. (She went to the embassy to renew her passport.)

The 'to head towards' or 'to go in the direction of' – se diriger

The verb se diriger translates to 'to head towards,' 'to go in the direction of,' or 'to move towards.' It emphasizes a deliberate and often focused movement towards a specific point or objective.

As a reflexive verb, se diriger always requires a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) that matches the subject. It is typically followed by prepositions such as vers (towards), sur (on/onto), or dans (in/into) to indicate the destination.

While similar to aller (to go), se diriger often carries a slightly more formal or intentional nuance. It suggests a more precise trajectory or a conscious decision to move in a particular direction, rather than just a general movement.

💡 * Je me dirige vers la sortie. (I'm heading towards the exit.)

Ils se dirigent vers le centre-ville. (They are heading towards the city center.)

Nous nous dirigeons vers un avenir meilleur. (We are heading towards a better future.)

Elle s'est dirigée vers la porte sans un mot. (She headed towards the door without a word.)

Dirigez-vous vers l'est pour trouver la gare. (Head east to find the station.)

The 'to join' or 'to meet up with' – rejoindre

When you want to express the idea of 'to join' or 'to meet up with' someone or something in French, the versatile verb rejoindre is your essential choice.

Rejoindre literally translates to 'to rejoin,' but its most common uses are 'to join,' 'to meet,' or 'to catch up with' someone or a group.

This verb is frequently used when you're arranging to meet friends, joining a social gathering, or catching up with someone who has moved ahead. For example, you might rejoindre vos amis (join your friends) for an evening out.

You can also employ rejoindre to specify meeting someone at a particular place or destination. It conveys the idea of 'meeting up at,' such as rejoindre quelqu'un au café (to meet someone at the café).

Grammatically, rejoindre is a transitive verb, meaning it directly takes an object without needing a preposition. You rejoignez quelqu'un (join someone) or rejoignez un groupe (join a group).

It follows the conjugation pattern of other verbs ending in -oindre, like joindre (to join/attach) or peindre (to paint), making its irregular forms consistent within this specific verb family.

💡 * Je te rejoins dans cinq minutes. (I'll join you in five minutes.)

Peux-tu nous rejoindre au cinéma ce soir ? (Can you meet us at the cinema tonight?)

Elle a rejoint l'entreprise il y a un an. (She joined the company a year ago.)

Nous devons les rejoindre avant qu'il ne fasse nuit. (We need to catch up with them before it gets dark.)

The 'to move around' or 'to travel' – se déplacer

The verb se déplacer in French literally means 'to move oneself,' translating broadly to 'to move around,' 'to get around,' or 'to travel.' It describes the act of changing one's location or position.

As a reflexive verb, se déplacer requires a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) that agrees with the subject. This emphasizes that the subject is performing the action of moving itself.

While verbs like aller (to go) and voyager (to travel) are common for movement, se déplacer offers a distinct nuance. It's often used for general mobility, commuting, or moving within a specific area, rather than traveling to a distant, fixed destination. It can also refer to the movement of objects or vehicles.

You'll frequently hear se déplacer when discussing how one gets from one place to another in daily life, like 'how do you get to work?' or 'it's easy to get around this city.' It's also used in more formal contexts concerning logistics or the movement of equipment.

Conjugating se déplacer follows the pattern of regular -er verbs, but always remember to include the correct reflexive pronoun. For example, je me déplace (I move around), tu te déplaces (you move around), il/elle/on se déplace (he/she/one moves around).

💡 * Comment tu te déplaces en ville ? (How do you get around in the city?)

Je dois me déplacer souvent pour mon travail. (I have to travel/move around often for my job.)

Le robot se déplace lentement. (The robot moves slowly.)

Nous nous déplaçons en bus chaque jour. (We travel/get around by bus every day.)

Il est difficile de se déplacer sans voiture ici. (It's difficult to get around without a car here.)

The 'to travel' (for trips) – voyager

When you want to express the idea of 'to travel' in French, especially in the context of taking a trip or a journey, the verb voyager is your go-to word. It's the most common and versatile verb for this purpose.

Voyager can be used for any kind of travel, whether it's by car, train, plane, or ship, and for both short excursions and long-distance trips. It broadly covers the act of moving from one place to another for leisure, business, or exploration.

Good news for learners: voyager is a regular -ER verb, which means its conjugation follows a predictable pattern. Just remember that it takes avoir as its auxiliary verb in compound tenses (e.g., j'ai voyagé).

💡 * J'adore voyager et découvrir de nouvelles cultures. (I love to travel and discover new cultures.)

Ils ont voyagé en Italie l'été dernier. (They traveled to Italy last summer.)

Nous voyagerons en train pour réduire notre empreinte carbone. (We will travel by train to reduce our carbon footprint.)

Aimes-tu voyager seul ou avec des amis? (Do you like to travel alone or with friends?)

Il voyage beaucoup pour son travail à travers l'Europe. (He travels a lot for his work across Europe.)

The informal 'to dash off' or 'to scoot' – filer

The verb filer is an informal and versatile verb often translated as 'to dash off,' 'to scoot,' 'to leave quickly,' or even 'to bolt.' It conveys a sense of rapid departure.

This usage of filer implies a swift, often somewhat urgent or unannounced, departure. It's very common in casual, everyday conversations among friends or family.

You'll frequently encounter expressions like faut que je file (I gotta run/scoot) or il a filé sans dire au revoir (he dashed off without saying goodbye). It's also part of the idiom filer à l'anglaise (to take French leave, i.e., to leave without saying goodbye).

💡 *Désolé, je dois filer ! (Sorry, I have to scoot!)
*Elle a filé avant la fin de la fête. (She dashed off before the end of the party.)
*On va filer, il se fait tard. (We're going to scoot, it's getting late.)
*Pourquoi as-tu filé si vite ? (Why did you dash off so quickly?)

The 'to pass by' or 'to drop by' – passer

The French verb passer is highly versatile, but when it means 'to pass by,' 'to go past,' or 'to drop by' a place or person, it almost always uses the auxiliary verb être in compound tenses. This is crucial for understanding its usage in these contexts.

To express passing through or by a specific location or route, you'll use passer par. For example, Je suis passé par la boulangerie means 'I passed by the bakery.'

When you want to say you're 'dropping by' or 'stopping at' someone's home or a specific type of establishment (like a doctor's office or baker's), the phrase passer chez is used. For instance, Je suis passé chez ma grand-mère translates to 'I dropped by my grandmother's place.'

You might also encounter passer devant ('to pass in front of') or passer derrière ('to pass behind'). Remember that the choice of auxiliary verb (être for movement) is key to differentiating these meanings from other uses of passer (which often take avoir, such as 'to spend time' or 'to pass something').

💡 * Je suis passé(e) par la boulangerie. (I passed by the bakery.)

Nous sommes passés devant la cathédrale. (We passed in front of the cathedral.)

Tu es passé(e) chez moi hier soir? (Did you drop by my place last night?)

Ils sont passés par Paris avant d'aller à Lyon. (They passed through Paris before going to Lyon.)

Passe me voir quand tu veux! (Drop by to see me whenever you want!)

Are there other ways to say 'to go' in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say 'to go' in French. But there are other terms, from more formal ones, to regional ones, to contemporary slang ones this middle-aged author might not even be aware of!

You can also do an online search for 'comment dire aller en ___' followed by a specific Francophone country or region.

You might find some interesting synonyms for aller on this list. Of course, make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you use it.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover different ways to talk about going places or moving.

And if you’re looking for ways to talk about different kinds of going, or words about movement in French, the WordReference entry for aller is a great place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful. Here’s a fitting thought to conclude, from a traditional French proverb: Petit à petit, l'oiseau fait son nid. (Little by little, the bird builds its nest - implying progress and going forward.)

9 ways to say "to go" in French