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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: A sentence opening with Bon, is the classic signal that someone is wrapping up and about to leave. It softens the exit, so nobody takes it as abrupt.

Phrase Breakdown

Bon, je dois

bohn zhuh dwah

Well, I have to

'Bon' here means 'well' or 'okay' to wrap things up. It's nasal, with no N sound: '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 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 / have to

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

Example

Je dois partir.

I have to leave.

y aller.

ee ah-LAY

go / get going.

Say 'ee ah-lay', flowing into 'yah-lay'. It's a common way to say you're leaving.

Example

Allez, on va y aller.

Come on, we're going to head off.

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

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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