Can I say "Je vais du cinéma" instead of "Je viens du cinéma" ?

ValentinaA1Kwiziq community member

Can I say "Je vais du cinéma" instead of "Je viens du cinéma" ?

Or: "Je viens au restaurant" instead of "Je vais au restaurant" ?
Asked 6 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team memberCorrect answer
Bonjour Valentina !

The answer is yes: just like in English, you will use aller and venir depending on where you situate yourself in the context.

I come to the restaurant. (Je viens au restaurant) would mean that the person you're talking to is already at the restaurant and you see yourself as coming towards them for example.

In the case of I go from the cinema, in French you will to add a destination, as always with the verb aller.
For example:
Je vais du cinéma à chez toi. (I'm going from the cinema to your place.)

I hope that's helpful!
À bientôt !
RonC1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Je vais au cinema is I am going to the cinema but Je viens du cinema is I am coming from the cinema. These two articles have different senses and therefore are not interchangeable without changing the complete meaning of the phrase.
ValentinaA1Kwiziq community member
Merci, but my question was about verbs, not articles with prepositions. In English, we may say I'm coming to (not from) the cinema and I'm going to the cinema. Is it possible in French?

Can I say "Je vais du cinéma" instead of "Je viens du cinéma" ?

Or: "Je viens au restaurant" instead of "Je vais au restaurant" ?

Sign in to submit your answer

Don't have an account yet? Join today

Ask a question

Find your French level for FREE

Test your French to the CEFR standard

Find your French level
Getting that for you now...