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How to Say ‘Well, I have to go.’ in French

Bon, je dois y aller.

bohn zhuh dwah ee ah-leh

[bohn zhuh dwah ee ah-leh]

🇫🇷 In France: Starting with Bon signals you're wrapping up the chat. It's a polite, natural way to leave.

Phrase Breakdown

Bon, je dois

bohn zhuh dwah

Well, I have to

'Bon' signals wrapping up. Pause briefly after it.

Example

Bon, je dois partir.

Well, I have to leave.

Words in this phrase

Bon

[bohn]

well / right

Used as a filler word to wrap up a conversation or move on.

Example

Bon, on y va ?

Right, shall we go?

[zhuh]

Pronoun used by the speaker to identify themselves.

Example

Je suis content.

I am happy.

dois

[dwah]

must

Second person singular present tense of 'devoir', indicating an obligation or necessity.

Example

Tu dois manger.

You must eat.

y aller.

ee ah-leh

go.

Common way to say you must leave: 'ya-lay'.

Example

Allez, on va y aller.

Come on, let's get going.

Words in this phrase

[ee]

there

In or at that place.

Example

Y a-t-il une solution?

Is there a solution?

aller

[ah-leh]

to go

Infinitive form of the verb 'to go', used for motion or travel.

Example

Je pense qu'il serait bien d'aller ailleurs.

I think it would be nice to go somewhere else.

Guides for French learners

Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.Babbel vs Pimsleur: Reading Your Way In or Listening Your Way In?Babbel vs Pimsleur: short structured lessons on screen versus 30-minute audio lessons you answer out loud. Which gets you speaking, and which fits your day.

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