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

Bon, je dois y aller.

BOHN zhuh dwah ee ah-LAY

[BOHN zhuh dwah ee ah-LAY]

🇫🇷 In France: Starting with Bon signals politely that you're wrapping up. It softens the exit, so the goodbye doesn't feel abrupt.

Phrase Breakdown

Bon, je dois

BOHN zhuh dwah

Well, I have to

'Bon' is a filler word meaning 'well' or 'okay' that signals you are wrapping up. Say it as 'bohn, zhuh dwah'.

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.

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 / have to

Form of 'devoir' for 'je', expressing obligation.

Example

Je dois partir.

I have to leave.

y aller.

ee ah-LAY

go.

Say it as 'ee ah-lay'. This is a common way to say goodbye politely.

Example

Il est tard, je vais y aller.

It's late, I'm going to go.

Words in this phrase

[ee]

there

In or at that place.

Example

Y a-t-il une solution?

Is there a solution?

aller

[ah-LAY]

to go

Infinitive of the verb meaning to go.

Example

Je veux aller au tableau.

I want to go to the board.

Guides for French learners

The Most Common French Verbs: the 20 You'll Actually UseThe 20 most common French verbs, with the present-tense forms you need, real example sentences with native audio, and two shortcuts for past and future.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.

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