Aller vs Venir – To Go vs To Come
This short guide explains when to use aller and venir with clear examples and common expressions. You'll see quick tables of useful sentences to make the difference concrete.
Aller
Use aller to talk about moving away from the speaker toward another place, or to describe planned trips and actions.
Examples
Expressions
Venir
Use venir to talk about moving toward the speaker’s location, or to describe someone arriving or joining an event.
Examples
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| ✈️ Je vais à Paris demain matin. | I am going to Paris tomorrow morning. |
| 🚆 Elle va à Lyon en train. | She is going to Lyon by train. |
| 🚗 Nous allons dans le sud de la France en voiture. | We are going to the south of France by car. |
| 🚌 Ils vont à la gare en bus. | They are going to the station by bus. |
| 🚶♂️ Je vais à l’hôtel à pied. | I am going to the hotel on foot. |
Expressions
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🕒 Il faut y aller. | We have to go. |
| 🧳 Je vais faire mes valises. | I’m going to pack my bags. |
| 🗺️ On va faire un tour. | We’re going to go for a trip. |
| 🛫 L’avion va décoller bientôt. | The plane is going to take off soon. |
| 🛤️ Aller simple pour Nice, s’il vous plaît. | One-way ticket to Nice, please. |
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Summary
Aller frames movement away or planned travel, while venir highlights movement toward the speaker or arrival; think relative to the speaker’s position.
Venir
Examples
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🛬 Elle vient d’atterrir à l’aéroport. | She just landed at the airport. |
| 🚕 Ils viennent de l’hôtel en taxi. | They are coming from the hotel by taxi. |
| 🚶♀️ Je viens de la gare à pied. | I am coming from the station on foot. |
| 🛶 Nous venons d’une croisière sur la Seine. | We are coming from a cruise on the Seine. |
| 🏨 Vous venez de l’auberge, n’est-ce pas ? | You are coming from the hostel, right? |
Expressions
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 📞 Il va venir me chercher. | He is going to come pick me up. |
| 🕗 Elle vient à huit heures. | She is coming at eight o’clock. |
| 🗝️ Nous venons chez vous ce soir. | We are coming to your place tonight. |
| 🚪 Ils viennent d’entrer dans la salle. | They just came into the room. |
| 📫 Le courrier vient d’arriver. | The mail has just arrived. |
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Last updated: Tue Sep 16, 2025