Marie va à la piscine.

Marie

Breakdown of Marie va à la piscine.

• aller: to go
• à: to
• la piscine: the swimming pool

Questions & Answers about Marie va à la piscine.

What does "va" mean in this sentence?

"Va" is the third person singular form of the verb "aller", which means "to go". So "Marie va" translates as "Marie goes" or "Marie is going" in the present tense.

Why is the phrase "à la piscine" used instead of something like "au piscine"?

The noun "piscine" (pool) is feminine in French. When using the preposition "à" with a feminine noun, you combine it with the article "la" to form "à la". If the noun were masculine, you would use "au" (a contraction of "à le"). That’s why the sentence uses "à la piscine".

Does "Marie va à la piscine" mean that Marie is swimming, or just that she’s going there?

The sentence simply indicates that Marie is going to the pool. It doesn’t imply whether she will swim or engage in any other activity once she arrives. Additional context would be needed to know if she intends to swim.

What is the grammatical structure of the sentence and how does it compare to English?