Level B1/B2 (Intermediate, upper intermediate)
Today we’ll have a look at the reflexive verb s’en aller (B1/B2 ), which means to leave a place or group of people. This is a bit different from aller, which means ‘to go’. Translations for s’en aller include ‘to leave’, ‘to go away’, ‘to be off’ or even ‘to be/get outta here’.
s’en aller – IPA pronunciation /s‿ɑ̃.n‿a.le/
“S’en Aller”: Master The Nuances Of This Reflexive Verb
Quick explanation of the “en”
The reflexive verb s’en aller includes the versatile pronoun en, which has many meanings including ‘some’, ‘of them’ and many more. In the context of s’en aller, the en can translate loosely to ‘from here’ and ‘from there’.
Example sentences
Salut tout le monde ! Je m’en vais !
Bye everybody! I’m leaving!
For this second example sentence, the underlying meaning of s’en aller really is ‘to leave’.
Tu t’en vas avant la fin du film ?
You’re leaving before the end of the movie?
For this example, s’en aller could easily be synonymous with partir (to leave)
Vous vous en allez aujourd’hui ? – Non, on s’en va demain.
You’re leaving today? – No, we’re leaving tomorrow.
For this sentence, the expressions ‘va t’en’ and ‘allez vous-en’ both mean ‘go away!’, ‘get out of here!’, ‘scram!’ and ‘get lost!’.
Prends ta valise et va t’en !
Take your suitcase and go!
Present Tense Conjugation
As mentioned, s’en aller is a reflexive verb. The en is an indirect object pronoun and indicates ‘from a place’. Hence je m’en vais suggests ‘I go from + place’.
Je m’en vais I leave (go, am off)
Tu t’en vas You leave (singular, informal)
Il, elle s’en va He, she leaves
Nous nous en allons We leave
Vous vous en allez You leave (plural, formal)
Ils, elles s’en vont They leave
Continue learning French!
Now that you’ve understood s’en aller, check our this lesson covering aller (to go) in 12 tenses with audio example sentences.
Related lessons on FrenchLearner
- Se casser – to leave, to be off
- Filer à l’anglaise – To dash, do a runner
- Quitter – to leave
- Partir – to leave
- Sortir – to go out
- Au revoir – goodbye
- Salut – hi! / bye!
