il allait

was going to, was going

a . l ɛ → aller
all go + ait 3rd-person singular imperfect
auxiliary · third singular · imperfect indicative Common #3,457
was going to Used with an infinitive to express the near future in the past (something that was about to happen).
FR: Il allait partir quand tu as appelé.
EN: He was going to leave when you called.
Conjugation of aller
Indicative imperfect
SingularPlural
First allais allions
Second allais alliez
Third allait allaient

Il n'allait plus jamais revoir son pays.

He would never see his country again.

Ziri pensait que ça allait l'aider.

Ziri thought it would help.

Sami allait se coucher.

Sami was going to bed.

Tu penses que Tom allait te tuer?

Do you think Tom was going to kill you?

Il a dit de descendre, qu'un truc allait arriver.

He said to get down, that something was going to happen.

— En terrain miné (2014)

Elle allait dîner avec des amies.

She was going to dinner with friends.

— Mystic River (2003)

Tom m'a dit qu'il allait vendre sa maison.

Tom told me he was going to sell his house.

Elle a dit qu'elle allait se promener.

She said she was going for a walk.

Il disait ce qu'il allait faire quand il le coupait.

He was saying what he was going to do when he cut it off.

— Reservoir Dogs (1992)

J'ai cru que Coulson allait s'évanouir.

I thought Coulson was going to pass out.

— Avengers (2012)

Ziri n'allait pas dîner avec Rima et Walid.

Ziri wasn't going to have dinner with Rima and Walid.

Votre fils allait se faire écraser.

Your son was about to get run over.

— Do the Right Thing (1989)

Tom allait mentir, mais il a fini par tout déballer.

Tom was going to lie, but he finally spilled the beans.

Il a dit qu'il allait rentrer à la maison le jour suivant.

He said he was going to go home the next day.

Vous saviez que ceci allait se produire, non?

You knew this was going to happen, didn't you?

Je pensais que Tom allait se faire accepter à Harvard.

I thought Tom was going to get accepted to Harvard.

Geum-ja allait demander pardon, et ce jusqu'à ce qu'elle n'ait plus de doigt.

Geum-ja would keep asking for forgiveness until she had no fingers left.

— Lady Vengeance (2005)

Elle n'en aurait pas eu besoin; elle allait bientôt mourir.

She wouldn’t have needed it; she was going to die soon.

— Les Quatre Cents Coups (1959)

Je sentais que ça allait mal finir.

I had a feeling it was going to end badly.

— Solaris (1972)

Je pensais que ma tête allait exploser.

I thought my head was going to explode.

Tom m'a dit qu'il allait m'appeler, mais il ne l'a pas encore fait.

Tom told me he was going to call me, but he hasn't yet.

Une fois par mois, l'été, on allait le chercher.

Once a month in the summer, we would go pick him up.

— Amarcord (1973)

Qu'est-ce qu'il allait faire?

What was he going to do?

On allait se marier là-bas.

We were going to get married there.

— Mystic River (2003)

Je n'ai pas dit que ça allait être facile.

I never said it was going to be easy.

Rima allait terminer son éducation moyenne.

Rima was about to complete her middle school education.

Qui aurait pensé qu'une simple rencontre allait devenir une relation si forte?

Who would have thought that a simple meeting would turn into such a strong relationship?

— Mon cœur est déjà pris (1999)

Cela allait être ma prochaine suggestion.

This was going to be my next suggestion.

Allez, j'ai toujours su que Billy allait t'en sortir.

Come on, I always knew Billy would get you out of it.

— Chicago (2002)

Tom a dit que Mary n'allait pas faire ça.

Tom said that Mary wasn't going to do that.

Savais-tu que ça allait te tomber dessus?

Did you know that this was going to happen to you?

Comment as-tu su que Tom allait nous aider?

How did you know that Tom was going to help us?

Elle a promis qu'elle allait m'appeler.

She promised she would call me.

Si elle allait le remettre à Dumbledore, elle ne le faisait pas consciemment.

If she was going to hand it over to Dumbledore, she wasn't doing it consciously.

— Harry Potter et le Prince de sang-mêlé (2009)

Elle allait partir de la maison.

She was going to leave the house.

Le vendeur allait lui donner une taupe.

The salesman was going to give him a mole.

Mais je t'ai dit que tout ça allait mal finir.

But I told you all this was going to end badly.

— The Dead Don't Die (2019)

Il fit comme s'il allait dire quelque chose mais resta plutôt tranquille.

He acted as if he were going to say something, but instead remained quiet.

Tom était très content d'entendre que Marie allait l'aider à déménager.

Tom was very happy to hear that Marie was going to help him move.

La milice n'allait jamais arriver à prendre le quartier Tanque seule.

The militia was never going to manage to take the Tanque neighborhood on its own.

— Troupe d'Élite : l'Ennemi Intérieur (2010)

Il était certain que la nouvelle n'allait pas lui plaire.

He was certain that she wasn't going to like the news.

J'ai pensé que vous seriez contente de savoir que le latin allait continuer.

I thought you’d be pleased to know that Latin would continue.

— Rushmore (1998)

Ne voyez-vous pas qu'il n'allait pas me faire de mal.

Don't you see that he wasn't going to hurt me?

— Wicked : Partie II (2025)

Elle allait m'appeler.

She was going to call me.

— Le Cercle des poètes disparus (1989)

Mary voulait savoir qui allait l'aider.

Mary wanted to know who was going to help her.

Qu'elle allait te faire confiance.

That she was going to trust you.

— The Rip (2026)

Je pensais que ça allait durer.

I thought it would last.

Je vous avais dit que ça allait être ennuyeux.

I told you it was going to be boring.

Qui allait nous embaucher?

Who was going to hire us?

— Les Lundis au soleil (2002)

Tom allait nous aider.

Tom was going to help us.

Je pensais que Tom allait être ici.

I thought Tom was going to be here.

Saviez-vous que ça allait nous tomber dessus?

Did you know this was going to happen to us?

Tom a dit qu'il allait faire ça dans quelques jours.

Tom said he was going to do it in a few days.

J'ai cru que ça allait se faire.

I thought it was going to happen.

— La Cité de Dieu (2002)

Mais peu de gens savaient qu'elle allait signer.

But few people knew that she was going to sign.

— Secret Sunshine (2007)

Tu es entré là où Natsuko allait accoucher.

You entered the place where Natsuko was going to give birth.

— Le Garçon et le Héron (2023)

Elle allait chercher du travail.

She was going to look for work.

— Arrête-moi si tu peux (2002)

Oui, le spectacle allait continuer.

Yes, the show was going to go on.

— Moulin Rouge ! (2001)

Tom m'a dit qu'il allait se marier.

Tom told me he was going to get married.

On allait vous faire la surprise aujourd'hui.

We were going to surprise you today.

— Il était une fois dans l'Ouest (1968)

J'ai entendu dire qu'elle allait se marier le mois prochain.

I heard that she was going to get married next month.

Qu'allait-il se passer?

What was going to happen?

Il a dit qu'il allait me présenter des gens influents.

He said he was going to introduce me to influential people.

— Chicago (2002)

Il s'est rendu à la maison avant de décider s'il allait l'acheter.

He went to the house before deciding whether he was going to buy it.

Tom est celui qui m'a dit quand la réunion allait être.

Tom is the one who told me when the meeting was going to be.

Personne ne m'a dit qu'il allait faire si froid.

No one told me it was going to be so cold.

J'ai supposé que Tom n'allait jamais le trouver.

I assumed Tom would never find it.

On n'allait pas rater ça!

We weren't going to miss that!

— Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

L'événement le plus décisif de sa vie allait se dérouler .

The most decisive event of his life was about to unfold there.

Tom ne sait pas ce que Marie allait faire.

Tom doesn't know what Marie was going to do.

Tu fais comme si ce groupe allait pas être énorme.

You're acting like this group isn't going to be huge.

— Presque Célèbre (2000)

On allait juste le tondre, monsieur.

We were just going to mow it, sir.

— Des hommes d'honneur (1992)

Elle allait partir.

She was going to leave.

— Mystic River (2003)

Mais comment saviez-vous ce que Time Magazine allait écrire?

But how did you know what Time Magazine was going to write?

— Oppenheimer (2023)

Je voulais juste savoir quand Tom allait arriver.

I just wanted to know when Tom was coming.

Mon cauchemar n'allait pas tarder à devenir réalité.

My nightmare was about to become a reality.

— The Garden of Sinners, film 5 : Spirale contradictoire (2008)

Ce n'était pas le gouverneur qui allait dire le contraire.

The governor certainly wasn't going to say otherwise.

— Troupe d'Élite : l'Ennemi Intérieur (2010)

Et ça n'allait pas prendre longtemps.

And it wasn’t going to take long.

— Troupe d'Élite : l'Ennemi Intérieur (2010)

Et ma famille allait se trouver au milieu de tirs croisés.

And my family was going to find themselves in the middle of crossfire.

— Troupe d'Élite : l'Ennemi Intérieur (2010)

Tom pensait que Marie allait revenir.

Tom thought Mary was going to come back.

Dan allait souvent se promener dans ce bois.

Dan often went for walks in this wood.

C'est comme si j'avais toujours su comment tout cela allait se terminer.

It's as if I had always known how it would all end.

Je pensais que ça allait marcher, mais non.

I thought it would work, but it didn't.

— Rushmore (1998)

Comme s'il allait me le dire.

As if he was going to tell me.

Je vous avais dit que ça allait être facile.

I told you it was going to be easy.

Ne parle pas comme si on n'allait plus se voir.

Don't talk as if we're never going to see each other again.

— Voyage à Tokyo (1953)

Je me demandais quand le ciel allait enfin se couvrir.

I was wondering when the sky would finally cloud over.

— Lagaan (2001)

Elle allait dire quelque chose.

She was about to say something.

— Tesis (1996)

Tom m'a dit qu'il allait se suicider.

Tom told me he was going to kill himself.

Oui, j'avais aidé à créer le monstre qui allait m'avaler.

Yes, I had helped create the monster that was going to swallow me.

— Troupe d'Élite : l'Ennemi Intérieur (2010)

Il a parié que la guerre allait bientôt se terminer.

He bet that the war would soon end.

Elle a dit qu'elle allait démissionner.

She said she was going to resign.

Je savais que Tom savait qui allait le faire.

I knew Tom knew who was going to do it.

Dans mon cas, ce don n'allait servir qu'à l'amour.

In my case, this gift was only going to serve love.

— Il était Temps (2013)

Il a dit qu'il allait regarder le pneu.

He said he was going to check the tire.

— J'ai rencontré le Diable (2010)

Elle savait qu'elle allait se faire enlever?

Did she know she was going to be kidnapped?

— Ne le dis à personne (2006)

Je t'avais dit que ça allait être facile.

I told you it was going to be easy.

Nonno, tu avais dit qu’on allait faire de jolis souliers pour M. Weaselton.

Grandpa, you said we were going to make some nice shoes for Mr. Weaselton.

— Zootopie 2 (2025)

On allait partir.

We were about to leave.

— Caché (2005)

Quand on l'a connue, elle savait déjà qu'elle allait mourir.

When we met her, she already knew she was going to die.

— Y tu mamá también (2001)

Personne ne m'a dit la réunion allait se dérouler.

No one told me where the meeting was going to take place.

Ça allait devenir 'L'année de la grande neige '.

It was to become 'The Year of the Big Snow'.

Savais-tu que ça allait nous tomber dessus?

Did you know this was going to happen to us?

Je suppose que j'aurais dû savoir que Tom n'allait pas nous aider.

I suppose I should have known that Tom wasn’t going to help us.

En fait, elle allait avoir un bébé.

In fact, she was going to have a baby.

— Souvenirs de Marnie (2014)

J'ai demandé ce qu'il allait faire.

I asked what he was going to do.

La tactique de la milice allait être différente.

The militia's tactics were going to be different.

— Troupe d'Élite : l'Ennemi Intérieur (2010)

Il a dit que la situation allait s'améliorer pour le pays.

He said that the situation would improve for the country.

Le système allait tuer Fraga.

The system was going to kill Fraga.

— Troupe d'Élite : l'Ennemi Intérieur (2010)

Et vous pensiez que votre opinion allait suffire à convaincre tous vos gens?

And you thought your opinion would be enough to convince all your people?

— Oppenheimer (2023)

Ca allait être l'émeute.

It was going to turn into a riot.

— Dangal (2016)

Elle allait mourir de toute façon, quelle urgence à lui donner du Fentanyl?

She was going to die anyway, what was the rush to give her Fentanyl?

— Decision to Leave (2022)

Mon père a dit que Nandini allait venir en Italie, et te voilà!

My father said Nandini was coming to Italy, and here you are!

— Mon cœur est déjà pris (1999)

J'ignorais que Tom allait le faire.

I didn't know Tom was going to do it.

Ils ont dit qu'elle allait se libérer.

They said she was going to free herself.

— Toni Erdmann (2016)

verb · third singular · imperfect indicative Common #7,170
was going Imperfect tense of « aller »; often used for ongoing actions in the past or for the near future in the past (e.g., « allait + infinitive »).
FR: Il allait à l’école tous les jours.
EN: He was going to school every day.
Conjugation of aller
Indicative imperfect
SingularPlural
First allais allions
Second allais alliez
Third allait allaient

Elle ne m'allait pas non plus.

It didn’t suit me either.

— Le Seigneur des anneaux : Le Retour du roi (2003)

Il devint tellement gros que son collier ne lui allait plus.

He became so fat that his collar no longer fit him.

Daniel nous dit que, quand ses parents se disputaient, il s'en allait.

Daniel tells us that whenever his parents argued, he would leave.

— Anatomie d'une chute (2023)

On s'est connus au marché bio elle allait.

We met at the organic market she used to go to.

— Reconnu coupable (2026)

Tom dit à Marie qu'il allait à Boston en octobre.

Tom tells Marie that he was going to Boston in October.

Elle allait bien.

She was fine.

Elle allait à la tour pour nous sauver.

She was going to the tower to save us.

— Moulin Rouge ! (2001)

Tout allait très bien.

Everything was going very well.

Il a dit qu'il allait bien.

He said he was fine.

— Infernal Affairs (2002)

Comment allait-il?

How was he?

— Andhadhun (2018)

Et si on séchait les cours et qu'on allait à la plage?

What if we skipped class and went to the beach?

On y allait souvent, pour le job de Richard.

We went there often, for Richard's job.

— Mommy (2014)

Et quand on partait en vacances aux Caraïbes ou à Vegas, on y allait ensemble.

And whenever we went on vacation to the Caribbean or Vegas, we went together.

— Les Affranchis (1990)

Mon idée allait à l'encontre de la sienne.

My idea went against his.

Tout allait de travers.

Everything was going wrong.

Le jardinier allait au jardin.

The gardener went to the garden.

Sami allait très bien.

Sami was doing very well.

C'est ainsi qu'il en allait.

That’s how things stood.

Marie a dit à tout le monde qu'elle allait bien.

Marie told everyone that she was fine.

Je ne savais pas qu'il allait si mal.

I didn't know he was doing so badly.

— La Vie des autres (2006)

allait-elle?

Where was she going?

Ça n'allait plus depuis quelques jours, elle et moi.

Things hadn't been going well between her and me for a few days.

— Solaris (1972)

Et tout ce qui allait avec.

And everything that went with it.

— Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Tu m'as dit que ta main allait bien.

You told me your hand was fine.

Quand je te disais qu'il allait mal!

I told you he was unwell!

— Une fiancée pas comme les autres (2007)

Ça nous allait, comme idée.

That was fine with us as an idea.

— Interstellar (2014)

Et si quelque chose allait de travers?

What if something went wrong?

Elle a dit qu'elle allait bien.

She said she was fine.

Mon père allait souvent à la pêche.

My father often went fishing.

Je passais voir si elle allait mieux.

I was just checking to see if she was feeling better.

— Love Actually (2003)

On y allait tous les jours.

We used to go there every day.

— Amarcord (1973)

Peut-être allait-il à l'église.

Maybe he was going to church.

— Maman, j'ai raté l'avion ! (1990)

Je ne savais pas que Tom allait à Boston avec Mary.

I didn’t know Tom was going to Boston with Mary.

Tout allait pour le mieux.

Everything was going well.

Comment allait Da-song aujourd'hui?

How was Da-song doing today?

— Parasite (2019)

Jadis, M. Zhang allait à l'Opéra avec l'Impératrice Douairière.

In the old days, Mr. Zhang would go to the opera with the Dowager Empress.

— Adieu ma concubine (1993)

Non, ça allait.

No, it was fine.

allait-il?

Where was he going?

Elle allait mal?

Was she unwell?

— Le Tombeau des lucioles (1988)

Il attacha son chien à l'arbre pendant qu'il allait dans le magasin.

He tied his dog to the tree while he went into the store.

Si tout le monde n'y allait que par conviction, il n'y aurait plus de guerres.

If everyone acted only out of conviction, there would be no more wars.

— Guerre et Paix (1968)

Elias allait partout en voiture.

Elias drove everywhere.

Dou a dit que si elle n'y allait pas bientôt ce serait trop tard pour lui.

Dou said that if she didn’t go there soon, it would be too late for him.

— Sacrifices of War (2011)

À quelle vitesse allait le train, là où on a trouvé le corps?

How fast was the train going where the body was found?

— Assurance sur la mort (1944)

Hier Tom allait un peu mieux que d'habitude.

Yesterday Tom was feeling a little better than usual.

Mais en général, tout allait pour le mieux.

But generally, everything was going well.

Mais toi, Hakuji-san, tu parlais comme si mon avenir allait de soi.

But you, Hakuji-san, spoke as if my future was a given.

— Demon Slayer : Kimetsu no Yaiba - Le film : La Forteresse infinie (2025)

La situation allait de pire en pire.

The situation was getting worse and worse.

Elle allait tous les jours à la messe.

She went to mass every day.

Bilal allait a l’école.

Bilal went to school.

Tout allait si bien.

Everything was going so well.

Comment allait-elle?

How was she?

Saviez-vous que cet argent allait dans les canaux du Parti communiste?

Did you know that this money was going into Communist Party channels?

— Oppenheimer (2023)

Allait-elle à ce concert?

Was she going to that concert?

Ziri allait bien.

Ziri was fine.

Et maman allait de mieux en mieux.

And Mom was getting better and better.

— Good Bye Lenin! (2003)

Je savais mon père allait.

I knew where my father was going.

— PK (2014)

Sounds similar to