il allait

he was going to, he was going

→ il
phrase Uncommon #15,681
he was going to Used with an infinitive to talk about a future action from a past point of view, often meaning 'was about to'.
FR: Il allait partir quand tu as appelé.
EN: He was about to leave when you called.

Il allait s'en prendre à nos enfants!

He was going to attack our children!

— Avatar : La Voie de l'eau (2022)

Mais tôt ou tard, il allait se lancer à vos trousses.

But sooner or later, he was going to come after you.

— Dans ses yeux (2009)

Il allait nous tuer, le flic et moi.

He was going to kill us, the cop and me.

— Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Le jour où le magazine arrivait, il allait l'attendre.

On the day the magazine arrived, he would go wait for it.

— Apocalypse Now (1979)

Il allait lui demander.

He was going to ask her.

Il allait tout foutre en l'air.

He was going to screw everything up.

Le lendemain, il allait courir contre lui.

The next day, he was going to race against him.

— भाग मिल्खा भाग (2013)

Lorsqu'il était petit, il allait pêcher le dimanche.

When he was little, he used to go fishing on Sundays.

Il allait devenir champion du monde, s'il gagnait la course.

He would become world champion if he won the race.

— Senna (2010)

Connaissant le père Neuville, je savais comment il allait gérer la situation.

Knowing Father Neuville, I knew how he would handle the situation.

— Ne le dis à personne (2006)

Et là où le soleil brillait, il allait se réchauffer.

And where the sun shone, he would warm himself.

— The Witch (2016)

Il allait partir.

He was about to leave.

— Marty Supreme (2025)

Il allait marcher sur nos plates bandes.

He was going to step on our toes.

— Drive (2011)

Il allait forcément attirer l'attention sur lui.

He was bound to draw attention to himself.

— Ghost in the Shell (1995)

Il allait te tirer dessus.

He was going to shoot you.

— Crime 101 (2026)

Après le travail, il allait boire avec ses collègues.

After work, he would go for drinks with his colleagues.

— Voyage à Tokyo (1953)

Il allait bosser, j'espère.

He was going to work, I hope.

— Do the Right Thing (1989)

Seigneur, il allait tout découvrir, mais n'ayez crainte.

Good Lord, he was going to find out everything, but don't worry.

— Le Cinquième Élément (1997)

Il allait quitter ce dépotoir pour une retraite dorée.

He was going to leave this dump for a golden retirement.

— Wake Up Dead Man : Une histoire à couteaux tirés (2025)

Mais il allait avoir besoin d'aide.

But he was going to need help.

— Insaisissables 3 (2025)

Il allait me shooter.

He was about to shoot me.

— La Cité des hommes (2007)

Il a coupé l'oreille du flic et il allait le brûler vif.

He cut off the cop’s ear and was going to burn him alive.

— Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Eddie, il allait le brûler.

Eddie was going to burn it.

— Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Il allait l'égorger!

He was going to slit his throat!

— Insaisissables 2 (2016)

Il possédait un abattoir et il allait enterrer sa femme dedans.

He owned a slaughterhouse and he used to bury his wife there.

— Mirage (2018)

phrase Uncommon #21,576
he was going Imperfect tense of aller; can also imply habitual past action or that something was about to happen, depending on context.
FR: Il allait au travail quand il a reçu un appel.
EN: He was going to work when he got a call.

Il allait chez vous, lui?

Was he going to your house?

— Les Invasions barbares (2003)

Qui sait il allait?

Who knows where he was going?

— Amarcord (1973)

Il allait bien, il n’y avait que son nez qui saignait.

He was fine; only his nose was bleeding.

— La strada (1954)

Personne ne savait il allait.

Nobody knew where he was going.

— L'aiguille (1989)

Autrefois il allait à l'entreprise en marchant.

He used to walk to the company.

Le mois dernier, il allait en Pologne.

Last month he was going to Poland.

Il allait souvent pêcher.

He often went fishing.

L'an dernier, à cette époque, il allait très mal.

At this time last year, he was doing very badly.

— Rebecca (1940)

Il allait bien.

He was fine.

— Parasite (2019)

Il me racontait qu'après le théâtre, il allait avec ses amis dans une taverne.

He was telling me that after the theater, he would go to a tavern with his friends.

— Le Conformiste (1971)

Il allait au travail, il rentrait à la maison.

He would go to work, then come home.

— Chicago (2002)

Il allait très mal.

He was doing very badly.

— Carnets de voyage (2004)

Il allait bien, et je ne suis pas au courant d'ennuis financiers.

He was doing fine, and I’m not aware of any financial troubles.

— Assurance sur la mort (1944)

Cookie suivait Tom partout où il allait.

Cookie followed Tom everywhere he went.

Il est parti à toute vitesse sans dire il allait.

He left at full speed without saying where he was going.

Il allait toujours en reconnaissance, il était très fort.

He was always going on reconnaissance, he was very strong.

Je pensais qu'il allait de soi qu'elle viendrait.

I thought it went without saying that she would come.