French Phrase
Je veux aller au Japon.
Meaning
Literally, ‘I want to go to Japan.’ The speaker is expressing a personal desire or plan to travel to Japan.
When to use
Use this sentence when you’re talking about travel dreams, making plans with friends, or answering a question like ‘Where would you like to go?’ It’s informal but perfectly acceptable in most everyday conversations.
✦Grammar Breakdown
JeveuxallerauJapon
Je (subject pronoun)
The first‑person singular pronoun used before a verb. It never changes form.
veux (vouloir, present)
The present‑tense form of vouloir meaning ‘to want’. It is conjugated as je veux, tu veux, il/elle veut, etc.
aller (infinitive)
The infinitive ‘to go’. After vouloir, the verb that follows stays in the infinitive.
au (à + le)
A contraction of the preposition à (to) and the definite article le, used before masculine singular nouns.
Japon (proper noun)
The name of the country Japan. Proper nouns in French keep their original spelling and are capitalised.
🗨In Conversation
Je veux aller au Japon.
I want to go to Japan.
Super ! Tu as déjà choisi la ville où tu vas atterrir ?
Great! Have you already chosen the city where you’ll land?
✕Common Mistakes
Je veux aller à le Japon.
The preposition ‘à’ contracts with the masculine article ‘le’ to form ‘au’.
Je veux aller au le Japon.
Do not repeat the article; ‘au’ already includes ‘le’.
Je veux vais au Japon.
After ‘vouloir’, the following verb must stay in the infinitive; never use ‘vais’ here.
↔Alternatives
Je souhaite aller au Japon.
I wish to go to Japan.
J'aimerais aller au Japon.
I would like to go to Japan.
Je veux visiter le Japon.
I want to visit Japan.
Cultural Tip
In French, ‘vouloir’ can sound a bit strong or direct, especially with strangers. If you want to be more polite or softer, use ‘je souhaiterais’ or ‘j’aimerais’. Also, remember that the preposition ‘à’ contracts with ‘le’ to become ‘au’; saying ‘à le Japon’ is a common mistake for beginners.