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How to Say ‘I have to go’ in French

Je dois y aller

zhuh dwah ee ah-LAY

[zhuh dwah ee ah-LAY]

💬 Usage Tip: The y is part of the fixed phrase y aller "to get going". Leaving it out sounds wrong to French ears.

Phrase Breakdown

Je dois

zhuh dwah

I have to

From 'devoir'. Say 'dois' as 'dwah'.

Example

Je dois travailler.

I have to work.

Words in this phrase

[zhuh]

Pronoun used by the speaker to identify themselves.

Example

Je suis content.

I am happy.

dois

[dwah]

must / should

From 'devoir'; expresses obligation or what one should do.

Example

Qu'est-ce que je dois faire si elle ne mange pas ?

What should I do if she doesn’t eat?

y aller

ee ah-LAY

go (there)

Say it as 'ee-ah-lay'. Here it means 'leave'.

Example

On peut y aller ?

Can we 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

A very common verb meaning 'to go.'

Example

On peut aller à la bibliothèque ce soir.

We can go to the library this evening.

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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