Can s'en aller take an indirect object?

Mike P.C1Kwiziq community member

Can s'en aller take an indirect object?

I notice that none of the example sentences say where the person is going to, 'Je m'en vais à la plage', for example. Is that because no-one uses s'en aller with an indirect object like that? Or if they do, how would the meaning differ from 'Je vais à la plage' or 'Je pars à la plage'? (I'm wondering if it's a bit like 'I'm outa here' (I am out of here); you'd never say 'I'm outa here to the beach'.)

Asked 3 years ago
CécileKwiziq team memberCorrect answer

Hi Mike,

No, 's'en aller' cannot have an object,  direct or indirect as it is intransitive, it is like 'partir'

'à la plage is an answer to  ( where).

Here is a Kwiziq lesson on what constitutes an indirect object pronoun -

Pronom d'objet indirect

Bonne Continuation!

Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

I've never heard it used except as atomic unit without another object.

Maarten K.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Mike, you might find this link useful too. 

https://www.frenchtoday.com/blog/french-vocabulary/to-leave-to-exit-quitter-sortir-partir-laisser/

Can s'en aller take an indirect object?

I notice that none of the example sentences say where the person is going to, 'Je m'en vais à la plage', for example. Is that because no-one uses s'en aller with an indirect object like that? Or if they do, how would the meaning differ from 'Je vais à la plage' or 'Je pars à la plage'? (I'm wondering if it's a bit like 'I'm outa here' (I am out of here); you'd never say 'I'm outa here to the beach'.)

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