Using 'Aller' in French Job Interviews: Key Phrases
Quick Summary
The verb ‘aller’ is fundamental in French, often signifying movement or general state. In the context of a job interview, it is crucial for expressing attendance, anticipating outcomes, or inquiring about the process, though it does not directly translate to ‘to pass’.
Core Lessons & Contextual Examples
1. Ça va aller.
English Translation: It’ll be fine/It’ll go well.
Nuance Note: This common idiom offers reassurance or expresses optimism about the interview’s outcome.
2. Je vais à l’entretien avec confiance.
English Translation: I am going to the interview with confidence.
Nuance Note: This phrase uses ‘aller’ to denote the act of attending the interview, coupled with a positive mindset.
3. J’espère que l’entretien va bien se passer.
English Translation: I hope the interview goes well.
Nuance Note: Here, ‘aller’ functions as an auxiliary verb in the futur proche, combined with ‘se passer’ to express hope for a positive progression of the interview.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Pitfall 1: Grammatical Trap (Click to Reveal)
- Incorrect: J’ai allé l’entretien.
- Correct: J’ai réussi l’entretien.
Why it fails: ‘Aller’ is an intransitive verb of movement and cannot take a direct object like ‘l’entretien’ to mean ‘to pass’ or ‘to undergo’. ‘Réussir’ is the correct verb for success.
❌ Pitfall 2: Grammatical Trap (Click to Reveal)
- Incorrect: Comment l’entretien est allé?
- Correct: Comment l’entretien s’est-il passé?
Why it fails: To describe how an event unfolded, the reflexive verb ‘se passer’ is used, conjugated with ‘être’. ‘Aller’ alone is not used in this construction for events.