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

Bon, il faut vraiment que j'y aille.

bohn eel foh vray-mon kuh zhem ee eye

[bohn eel foh vray-mon kuh zhem ee eye]

🇫🇷 In France: Opening with Bon signals a wrap-up, so it's a soft, polite way to end the evening without needing an excuse.

Phrase Breakdown

Bon, il faut vraiment

bohn eel foh vray-mon

Well, I really have to

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

Example

Bon, il faut vraiment travailler.

Well, I really have to work.

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?

[eel]

Impersonal subject used for weather expressions.

Example

Aujourd'hui, il fait beau.

Today, the weather is nice.

faut

[foh]

is necessary / must

Impersonal verb used to express necessity or obligation.

Example

Il faut boire plus d'eau en été.

You must drink more water in summer.

vraiment

[vray-mon]

really / truly

Adverb used to emphasize an opinion; more expressive than “très” in some contexts.

Example

Ce studio a un style Vraiment original.

This studio has a really original style.

que j'y aille.

kuh zhem ee eye

get going.

This is a common way to say 'I have to go'. 'Aille' sounds like 'eye'.

Example

Désolé, il faut que j'y aille.

Sorry, I have to go.

Words in this phrase

que

[kuh]

that

Introduces the clause that follows after expressing a thought or opinion.

Example

Dans Je pense que, que relie l'opinion à l'idée suivante.

In "Je pense que," "que" links the opinion to the next idea.

[zhem]

I (contracted form of « je »)

« Je » becomes « J’ » before a vowel: « J’aime » = “I like/I love”. Very frequent for opinions about anime.

Example

J' aime ce studio d’animation.

I like this animation studio.

[ee]

there

In or at that place.

Example

Y a-t-il une solution?

Is there a solution?

aille

[eye]

Subjunctive of 'aller' (to go) for 'je'.

Example

Il faut que j'aille au travail.

I have to go to work.

Guides for French learners

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.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.

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