s’en aller, s’en faire, s’en vouloir

These three French expressions are frequently used. They combine a reflexive pronoun (“se”) with the adverbial pronoun “en,” which can mean a variety of things, including “of it,” “of them,” “some of them,” “any of them,” “any of it,” “some of it,” “from it,” “from them,” etc.

s’en aller

Meaning: to leave, to go away

  • “se” is the reflexive pronoun that changes to the appropriate person (me, te, se, nous, vous or se).
  • “en” means “from here.”
  • “aller” is “to go”

Examples:

  • je m’en vais – I’m leaving
  • tu t’en vas ? – you’re leaving?
  • va t’en ! – go away! (informal)
  • allez-vous en ! – go away! (formal or plural)

s’en faire

Meaning: to worry

  • “se” is the reflexive pronoun that changes to the appropriate person (me, te, se, nous, vous or se).
  • “en” means “of it.”
  • “faire” is “to make” or “to do”

Examples:

  • Ne t’en fais pas – Don’t worry
  • Ne t’en fais pas pour ton ami – Don’t worry about your friend
  • Ma mère s’en fait pour moi. My mother worries about me

s’en vouloir

Meaning: to be annoyed with, to be mad at, to be annoyed with yourself, to hold a grudge

  • “se” is the reflexive pronoun that changes to the appropriate person (me, te, se, nous, vous or se).
  • “en” means “of it.”
  • “vouloir” is “to want”
  • This expression is followed by the preposition “à” if you’re annoyed with a specific person.

Examples:

  • Alice s’en veut de son frère – Alice is annoyed with her brother
  • Tu m’en veux ? – You’re angry with me?
  • Julie s’en veut d’avoir oublié l’anniversaire de son père – Julie is annoyed with herself for having forgotten her father’s birthday

Don’t miss new articles!

Get 1 email a week with new articles about French

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy

Similar Posts

  • pour + infinitive

    In French, one of the most common ways to express purpose or intention is by using “pour” followed by an infinitive verb. This structure is equivalent to “in order to” in English and is widely used in both spoken and written French. In everyday English, the words “in order” are often omitted. 1. Basic Structure…

  • Liaison

    One of the trickiest aspects of French pronunciation for learners is liaison – the smooth linking of a normally silent final consonant to the beginning of the following word when that word starts with a vowel or a silent “h”. Knowing when to do a liaison and when to avoid it is key to sounding…

  • faire causatif

    The French causative construction, known as faire causatif, is a grammatical structure used to express that someone causes another person or thing to perform an action. Examples in English are phrases like “I’ll have him do that” or “She’s getting her dress dry cleaned.” It is formed using the verb faire (to make or to…

  • eyes, eggs, bones

    The words for eyes, eggs and bones in French are a little unusual. They either have very different spelling between the singular and the plural, or they have very different pronunciation between the singular and the plural. See the below lists and try out the pronunciations for yourself. Eyes: Eggs: Bones:

  • allez !

    The French word “allez !” is the imperative form of the verb aller (to go) in the second-person plural (vous). However, its usage extends far beyond a simple command. It can function as an exhortation, a command, or even a casual farewell, depending on context. As an exhortation “Allez !” is often used to encourage…

  • -uire verbs

    French verbs that end in -uire belong mostly to the third group (irregular verbs). Here is a list of common -uire verbs: Most of these verbs follow a similar conjugation pattern, where the -uire ending changes in the present tense (e.g., je conduis, tu conduis, il conduit, nous conduisons). Conjugation of -uire Verbs in French…