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FrenchConjugationSubjonctif

Aller (to go) · Subjonctif

By TutorLily Editorial Team · Last updated

Aller in the French subjonctif présent is: j'aille, tu ailles, il/elle/on aille, nous allions, vous alliez, ils/elles aillent. The subjonctif présent of aller uses two stems: 'aill-' for singular forms + ils ('aille', 'aille', 'aillent') and 'all-' for nous/vous ('allions', 'alliez'). 'Il faut que j'aille' = 'I need to go'.

aller conjugation in the Subjonctif Présent
To GoAller
I go
j'aille
you go
tu ailles
he/she go
il/elle/on aille
we go
nous allions
you go
vous alliez
they go
ils/elles aillent
Examples

Aller (to go) in context

Sentences that use aller in the subjonctif. Tap each to hear it.

Il faut que j'aille à la banque.

I need to go to the bank.

Je veux que tu ailles voir le médecin.

I want you to go see the doctor.

Il faut qu'elle aille chez le dentiste.

She needs to go to the dentist.

Il est temps que nous allions au lit.

It's time we went to bed.

J'aimerais que vous alliez à cette conférence.

I would like you to go to this conference.

Je doute qu'ils aillent au concert.

I doubt they will go to the concert.

Tip

Working with the subjonctif

The subjonctif isn't a tense — it's a mood. It signals doubt, desire, emotion, necessity, or hypothetical possibility. The standard trigger families: "il faut que" (it's necessary), "je veux que" (I want), "je doute que" (I doubt), "avant que" (before), "bien que" (although), "pour que" (so that). The form usually comes from the third-person plural of the present indicative (ils parlent → que je parle). Most -er verbs look identical in subjonctif and indicative for je/tu/il/ils — only the nous/vous forms shift, and only irregular verbs like être (sois), avoir (aie), aller (aille), faire (fasse) need full memorisation.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How do you conjugate aller in the subjonctif?
The subjonctif présent of aller is: que j'aille, que tu ailles, qu'il/elle/on aille, que nous allions, que vous alliez, qu'ils/elles aillent. Singular forms + ils use the irregular stem 'aill-'; nous/vous use the regular stem 'all-' from the imparfait. This split between stems is unusual and trips up most learners.
When do I need to use the subjonctif of aller?
Use it after triggers of necessity, will, doubt, emotion, or future-pointing time clauses: 'il faut que j'aille' (I need to go), 'je veux que tu ailles' (I want you to go), 'avant qu'il aille' (before he goes), 'bien que nous allions' (although we go). 'Il faut que' + subjonctif is one of the most common French expressions for necessity, and aller appears in it constantly.
Why is the subjonctif 'aille' and not 'aile' or 'vail'?
Aller's subjonctif stem 'aill-' is irregular and doesn't derive from any other aller form. It comes from a different Latin root than the present indicative — the same way 'aller', 'vais', 'irai', and 'aille' all come from different Latin verbs that merged into one French paradigm. Memorise it as a separate form. The same kind of stem-jumping affects être (sois), avoir (aie), faire (fasse), pouvoir (puisse), savoir (sache).
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More tenses of Aller (To Go)

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Aller (to go) · Imparfait
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Aller (to go) · Futur

More verbs in subjonctif

All tenses
Aller (to go)
subjonctif
Être (to be)
subjonctif
Avoir (to have)
subjonctif
Faire (to do)
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