Updated January 26, 2026 — Lesson written by French teacher David Issokson for students who want to learn French online, with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier, a voice artist from France.
The Word of the Day is s’en aller, a fascinating reflexive verb meaning “to leave.” We’ll also take a quick look at the role the pronoun en plays in this construction.
📘 S’en aller meaning in French
S’en aller is a common French reflexive verb meaning “to leave,” “to go away,” or “to be off.” It focuses on the act of departing — often from a place or from other people. You’ll hear it most often in the present tense (je m’en vais — I’m leaving) and in the imperative (va-t’en ! — go away!).
In s’en aller, en replaces an implied de + place and shows movement away from somewhere. That’s why je m’en vais literally suggests “I go away from here.”
👉 Je vais de + place → Je m’en vais
💡 S’en aller vs. partir and sortir
Unlike partir (to leave in a general sense) and sortir (to go out or exit), s’en aller puts the focus on going away from a place and feels more immediate and conversational. Partir is neutral and works for trips or plans, while sortir usually means leaving a building or going out socially.
➞ S’en aller: Je m’en vais — I’m leaving. (right now)
➞ Partir: Je pars demain — I leave tomorrow. (planned)
➞ Sortir: Je sors ce soir — I’m going out tonight. (going out)
See also:
👉 Partir usage examples »
👉 Sortir usage examples »
👉 Object pronoun en »
🎧 S’en aller pronunciation in French
The pronunciation of s’en aller is /sɑ̃ a.le/ (IPA), which sounds roughly like “sahn ah-lay.”
📝 S’en aller usage examples
Salut tout le monde ! Je m’en vais !
Bye everybody! I’m leaving!
Tu t’en vas avant la fin du film ?
You’re leaving before the end of the movie?
Vous vous en allez aujourd’hui ? – Non, on s’en va demain.
You’re leaving today? – No, we’re leaving tomorrow.
Prends ta valise et va-t’en !
Take your suitcase and go!
In order to use s’en aller, you must master the irregular verb aller (to go).
👉 See also: Aller conjugation chart (with audio) »
❓ Want to feel more confident in French?
🎯 À Moi Paris — This is my top recommendation for online French courses, and it pairs wonderfully with my daily lessons. Camille Chevalier teaches with engaging audio stories that she records at three speeds. Her specialty is helping students with pronunciation and bridging the gap between textbook French and real spoken French as you hear it on the streets of Paris.
👉 Explore À Moi Paris »
👉 Read my review »
🎧 French Verb Drills — Having trouble with French verb conjugations? Camille’s audio drills break everything down step by step so you can finally lock in the patterns and speak with confidence.
If you purchase the courses, I may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you.
🔗 Related words and expressions
- partir — to leave
- sortir — to go out
- quitter — to leave (someone / a place)
- se barrer — to take off (informal)
- se casser — to leave (slang)
- s’enfuir — to run away
- faire ses valises — to pack one’s bags
📚 Related lessons on FrenchLearner!
👉 Aller (to go) — usage examples »
👉 Aller conjugation charts (with audio) »
👉 Je suis venu te dire que je m’en vais (song) »
👉 French reflexive verbs »
