French Phrase
Je vais chercher mes enfants à l'école.
Meaning
This sentence uses the verb 'aller' (to go) combined with 'chercher' (to look for/fetch) to indicate the action of picking someone up. It describes the common daily routine of collecting children from their educational institution.
When to use
Use this phrase when explaining your daily schedule to friends or colleagues, or when you need to justify leaving a meeting or social gathering.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Jevaischerchermesenfantsàl'école
Aller (vais)
The verb 'aller' is used here in the present tense to indicate an action that is about to happen or a current movement.
Chercher
In this context, 'chercher' means 'to fetch' or 'to pick up' rather than its literal meaning of 'to look for'.
Mes enfants
The possessive adjective 'mes' is plural to agree with 'enfants', and the 's' is pronounced as a 'z' sound due to liaison.
🗨In Conversation
Tu es libre pour un café à seize heures ?
Are you free for a coffee at 4 PM?
Non, je vais chercher mes enfants à l'école.
No, I am going to pick up my children from school.
✕Common Mistakes
Je vais prendre mes enfants à l'école.
Avoid using 'prendre' for picking up people; 'chercher' or 'récupérer' are the correct verbs for fetching someone.
Je vais chercher mes enfants de l'école.
Use the preposition 'à' to indicate the location where the fetching occurs, rather than 'de'.
↔Alternatives
Je récupère mes enfants à l'école.
I'm picking up my kids from school.
Je passe prendre les enfants.
I'm stopping by to pick up the kids.
Cultural Tip
In France, the 'sortie de l'école' is a major social moment for parents at the school gates. School usually ends around 4:30 PM, and if you are late, children might be moved to 'la garderie' (after-school care).