aller à l'école

You need to conjugate the verb aller (to go) based on who is going. For example, je vais (I go) or nous allons (we go). The rest of the phrase, à l'école, stays exactly the same. Remember that école starts with a vowel. This is why we use l' instead of la. It keeps the sentence flowing smoothly. You can add adverbs like tôt (early) or tard (late) to give more detail.

Use this when talking about your morning routine. It is perfect for chatting with neighbors about their kids. You can use it in a professional setting if you are a teacher. It works great in text messages when you are running late for class. If you are discussing education policy, this phrase still fits perfectly. It is a true linguistic workhorse for any conversation involving education.

Don't use this if you are going to work. For that, use aller au travail. Avoid it if you are going to a specific type of school like a gym (salle de sport). If you are a university student, you might prefer aller à la fac. Using école for a 25-year-old is okay, but it sounds a bit young. Don't use it for home-schooling scenarios either. In those cases, the movement aspect doesn't really apply.

Education is the backbone of French society. The phrase carries a sense of duty and republican values. In France, school is secular and mandatory until age sixteen. This phrase often evokes images of fresh baguettes for snack time (le goûter). It also brings to mind the iconic yellow or clear book covers. For many, aller à l'école is the first step into French civic life. It is more than just learning; it is about becoming a citizen.

You will often hear aller en cours, which means 'going to class.' High schoolers might say aller au lycée. Middle schoolers say aller au collège. If you are skipping school, the slang is sécher les cours. For university life, aller à la fac is the cool way to say it. Each variation adds a little flavor to your specific stage of life.