FR: nous allons à / nous allons aller à

[johnL]

Basic French Alert!
After watching the characters in my French lessons say, "Nous allons a la bibli" over and over (and thinking it meant, "We're going to the library"), suddenly I find them saying, "Nous allons aller a la bibli." Looks like, "We're going going to the library." Is it perhaps, "We're going to go to the library?"

Can someone please explain this for me?

Thanks very much.
John

 

[Cath.S.]

Yes John, nous allons à la blibli(othèque) = we go/are going to the library
while nous allons aller = we are going to go to.
Nous allons = we go/are going first person plural of aller)
aller = to go.
It is very similar to the English structure.

 

[remosfan]

After watching the characters in my French lessons say, "Nous allons a la bibli" over and over (and thinking it meant, "We're going to the library"), suddenly I find them saying, "Nous allons aller a la bibli." Looks like, "We're going going to the library." Is it perhaps, "We're going to go to the library?"

Yup, that's right. Basically aller + infinitive forms a future tense (futur proche = near-future) and is very similar to the English go + infinitive. That's all I can say.

 

[johnL]

Thanks a lot, guys. I appreciate the info.

 

[johnL]

I've been thinking about this a lot, and I was wondering: If you're going to say, "You guys are going to go visit Ray,"
1) Would you say, "Vous allez aller a Ray" and
2) Would you have to say it with a straight face?

 

[Gil]

I've been thinking about this a lot, and I was wondering: If you're going to say, "You guys are going to go visit Ray,"
1) Would you say, "Vous allez aller a Ray" and
2) Would you have to say it with a straight face?

I could say "Vous allez aller chez Ray", but I probably would avoid it and say : "Vous allez rendre visite à Ray".

Nevertheles there is an example of use in the Trésor de la langue française:

Vous allez aller chez l'apothicaire demander des pilules purgatives (LECLERCQ, Prov. dram., Humor., 1835, 11, p. 417)