allons

Allons is the present tense form of the French verb aller (to go) used with the subject nous, yielding the sense “we go” or “we are going.” It also functions as the imperative for the nous form, meaning “let us go” and, in common usage, appears in set phrases such as “Allons-y” (let’s go there). The pronunciation is typically given as /alɔ̃/.

In everyday French, allons appears in both descriptive and exhortative contexts. As a declarative verb form, it can begin statements about future plans: “Nous allons partir bientôt” (We are going to leave soon). As an imperative, it often conveys an invitation or urging: “Allons!” (Let’s go!) or more emphatically “Allons-y!” which is widely used in spoken language to indicate taking action. The expression “Allons donc!” can express mild surprise or insistence, while “Allons enfants de la Patrie,” the opening line of the national anthem La Marseillaise, is a famous historical usage that calls citizens to action.

Etymology and grammar: aller, from which allons derives, comes from Old French aler/aller, with roots in the Latin verb ire meaning “to go.” The form allons itself comes from the unstressed nous ending –ons added to the stem of the verb, following regular French conjugation patterns for -er verbs in the present tense, though aller is irregular in other forms.

See also: French verb conjugation of aller, the phrase allons-y, and La Marseillaise.