Breakdown of Pour s'évader, on peut aller n'importe où.
on
one / we (informal)
pour
for
aller
to go
pouvoir
to be able to / can
Questions & Answers about Pour s'évader, on peut aller n'importe où.
How does n'importe où literally translate, and why do we use it here for "anywhere"?
It literally translates to "it matters not where" or "no matter where". In French, n'importe où is the standard way to express "anywhere" when you mean "any place at all" or "it doesn't matter which place".
Could I use partout instead of n'importe où?
Not exactly. Partout means "everywhere", while n'importe où means "anywhere" in the sense of "any single place you choose". Saying on peut aller partout would mean "we can go everywhere".
Why is there a Pour at the beginning of the sentence?
In French, when you state the purpose of an action (meaning "in order to"), you must use pour followed by an infinitive verb. You can't just start with the infinitive s'évader the way you can start with "To get away" in English.
Does s'évader mean "to escape" like from a prison, or just "to go on vacation"?
It can mean both! Literally, s'évader is a reflexive verb that means to escape or break out. Figuratively, just like the English phrase "to get away", it is often used to talk about taking a relaxing break from daily life, routine, or stress.
The translation says "we can go", but the French uses on. Why not ?