Marie va à l'école.

Marie goes to school.

Breakdown of Marie va à l'école.

• Marie: Marie
• aller: to go
• à: to
• l'école: the school

Questions & Answers about Marie va à l'école.

What does the verb va mean in this sentence?

va is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb aller, which means to go. It indicates that Marie is going somewhere, much like “goes” in English.

Why is the preposition à used before l'école?

In French, when expressing movement toward a place, the preposition à is used. Here, à signals the direction “to” or “at,” and it is combined with the definite article to form à l'école.

What is the significance of the contraction in l'école?

The contraction from la école to l'école happens because French drops the final vowel of the definite article la when it precedes a word that begins with a vowel. This elision, marked by the apostrophe, ensures smoother pronunciation.

Does the sentence imply that Marie is currently on her way to school or that she regularly attends school?

The simple present tense in French can serve both purposes. Without extra context, Marie va à l'école typically means that Marie goes to school (as a habitual action), but it can also describe an action occurring right now. Context usually clarifies the intended meaning.

Is the word order in Marie va à l'école similar to that in English?

Yes, the sentence follows the common subject-verb-prepositional phrase order found in both French and English. In English, we would say Marie goes to school, which has a very similar structure.