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Nous allons à la gare après le déjeuner.

Nous allons à la gare après le déjeuner.
We are going to the train station after lunch.
FromLesson 28inHardcore French

Breakdown of Nous allons à la gare après le déjeuner.

nous
we
aller
to go
à
to
après
after
le déjeuner
the lunch
la gare
the train station

Questions & Answers about Nous allons à la gare après le déjeuner.

Why is it à la gare and not au gare?

Because gare is feminine. The preposition contracts only with masculine singular and plural:

  • à + la = à la (no change) → à la gare
  • à + le = au → au musée
  • à + l’ = à l’ (before vowel/h mute h) → à l’université
  • à + les = aux → aux gares (to the stations)
What tense is nous allons? Is it a future?
It’s the present tense of aller. In French, the present can express an action happening now or a scheduled/near-future plan when a time phrase is present. It is not the “near future” construction unless followed by an infinitive (see next question).
How would I say “We are going to go to the station after lunch”?
  • Literal near future: Nous allons aller à la gare après le déjeuner. (correct but a bit heavy)
  • Simple future (often smoother): Nous irons à la gare après le déjeuner.
  • Or keep the present as in the original; it already implies a plan.
Can I use on instead of nous?

Yes. In everyday speech, on is more common for “we”:

  • On va à la gare après le déjeuner. Grammar note: on takes 3rd-person singular verb forms, but past participles/adjectives often agree in number/gender with the group in writing (e.g., On est allés if the group is mixed/masculine).
Do I need the article in après le déjeuner? Can I say après déjeuner?

Both are possible:

  • après le déjeuner uses the noun (a specific meal or meals in general).
  • après déjeuner is idiomatic and a bit more concise. More options:
  • Formal/precise: après avoir déjeuné
  • Very informal (colloquial): après manger (avoid in formal writing).
Does déjeuner always mean “lunch”?

In France, yes: déjeuner = lunch, dîner = dinner.
In Québec/Belgium/Swiss usage: déjeuner = breakfast, dîner = lunch, souper = dinner. Be aware of regional differences.

Why use à here? When would I use chez?
  • aller à + place: aller à la gare, aller à l’école
  • aller chez + person/professional: aller chez Marie, aller chez le médecin Countries/regions: aller en France, aller au Canada, aller aux États-Unis (use en/au/aux depending on gender/number and first letter).
How do I add the means of transport?
  • On foot: à pied
  • By + transport: en bus, en métro, en voiture, en train Example: Nous allons à la gare en bus après le déjeuner.
Can I replace à la gare with a pronoun?

Yes, use y for “there” with places introduced by à:

Where can I put the time phrase après le déjeuner?
  • End (neutral): Nous allons à la gare après le déjeuner.
  • Beginning (adds emphasis; use a comma): Après le déjeuner, nous allons à la gare.
Any pronunciation or liaison tips?
  • Nous allons: liaison between nous and allons → sounds like “nouz–allons.”
  • allons à: liaison after verbs is optional; you may hear “z” linking.
  • gare: the final “e” isn’t pronounced as a separate vowel; think “gar” with French r.
  • après: final s is silent.
  • déjeuner: the é is like “ay” in English “day”; the “j” is like “zh.”
Why the accents in à, après, and déjeuner?
  • à (with accent) means “to/at,” distinguishing it from a (he/she/it “has”).
  • après uses grave accent to mark the open “eh” sound.
  • déjeuner has an acute accent on é, giving the “ay” sound.
Is station a false friend here?

Yes. Use la gare for a train station.

  • Subway/metro: la station de métro
  • Bus stop: l’arrêt de bus
  • Gas station: la station-service
How do I make it negative or ask a question?
Could I use a synonym for aller like se rendre or partir?
  • Nous nous rendons à la gare = we’re heading/making our way to the station (a bit formal).
  • Nous partons pour la gare = we’re leaving for the station (focus on departure).
Does à mean “to” or “at” here?

It depends on the verb:

  • With motion verbs like aller, à means “to”: aller à la gare.
  • With location verbs like être, à means “at”: Nous sommes à la gare.
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“How does grammatical gender work in French?”
Every French noun is either masculine or feminine, and this affects the articles and adjectives used with it. "Le" is used with masculine nouns and "la" with feminine ones. Adjectives also change form to match — for example, "petit" (masc.) becomes "petite" (fem.).

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