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Why French says 'viens voir' for 'come and see'

In English you come and see, go and get something, or go out to walk the dog. French skips the little linking word. After a verb of movement, the action you are going to do follows directly as a plain infinitive: viens voir, va chercher, sors promener le chien. This works with aller, venir, partir, monter, descendre and many other verbs that describe moving somewhere.

Because English needs and or to, English speakers often build phrases like viens et vois or je vais pour chercher. The first is simply wrong, and the second sounds heavy in everyday speech. Once you trust the bare infinitive, these phrases become short and natural.

Word list
allerA1 to go aller acheter du pain = go and get bread courirA1 to run courir chercher de l'aide = run to get help partirA1 to leave partir faire les courses = go off to do the shopping sortirA1 to go out sortir promener le chien = go out to walk the dog venirA1 to come venir voir = come and see aller dormirA2 to go to bed aller dormir = go to bed descendreA2 to go down descendre manger = come down and eat entrerA2 to enter entrer se réchauffer = come in and warm up monterA2 to go up monter se coucher = go up to bed rentrerA2 to go home rentrer déjeuner = go home for lunch rentrerA2 to return rentrer chercher ses clés = go back in for your keys retournerA2 to return retourner voir ses parents = go back to see your parents revenirA2 to return revenir chercher = come back to get s'en allerA2 to leave s'en aller faire un tour = go off for a walk aller chercherB1 to collect aller chercher sa veste = go and get your jacket aller chercherB1 to pick up aller chercher les enfants = pick up the children grimperB1 to climb grimper voir = climb up to see passer prendreB1 to pick up passer te prendre = come by and pick you up venir chercherB1 to pick up venir te chercher = come and pick you up
How it works

The pattern is: motion verb + infinitive. The motion verb is conjugated as usual and the second verb stays in the infinitive. Nothing goes between them: no et, no à, and usually no pour.

  • come and see = venir voir
  • go and fetch = aller chercher
  • go down to eat = descendre manger

Rule of thumb: if you physically move somewhere in order to do something, put the infinitive straight after the motion verb.

Viens voir ce que j'ai trouvé !
(Come and see what I found!)
The words
Coming and going

The most common members are aller and venir. Partir and s'en aller stress leaving, as in je m'en vais faire un tour (I'm off for a walk). Revenir means coming back to do something.

Je vais acheter du pain, je reviens dans dix minutes.
(I'm going to get some bread, I'll be back in ten minutes.)
Elle est partie faire les courses.
(She's gone out to do the shopping.)
Il est revenu chercher son parapluie.
(He came back to get his umbrella.)
Je sors promener le chien.
(I'm going out to walk the dog.)
Up, down, in, out

Verbs that describe direction or manner work the same way: monter, descendre, sortir, entrer, courir, and even grimper (il a grimpé voir ce qu'il y avait sur le toit). Rentrer means going home, or going back inside, to do something: je rentre chercher mes clés (I'm going back in for my keys).

Descends manger, c'est prêt !
(Come down and eat, it's ready!)
Monte te coucher !
(Go up to bed!)
Il a couru chercher de l'aide.
(He ran to get help.)
Entre te réchauffer, il fait froid dehors.
(Come in and warm up, it's cold outside.)
Il rentre déjeuner tous les midis.
(He goes home for lunch every day.)
Fixed everyday pairs

Some combinations are so common that they work almost like single verbs. Aller dormir is going to bed. Aller chercher is fetching something or picking someone up. Venir chercher and passer prendre both mean picking someone up, often by car. Other classics are envoyer chercher (to send for) and retourner voir (to go back and see).

Je vais chercher les enfants à l'école.
(I'm going to pick up the children from school.)
Je passe te prendre à 8 h.
(I'll pick you up at 8.)
Tu viens me chercher à la gare ?
(Will you pick me up at the station?)
Watch out
Never use et

Viens et vois is not French. Say viens voir.

Pour is possible, but it is not the default

When you want to stress the purpose, for example to answer the question "why did you come?", pour works well. In ordinary speech the bare infinitive is shorter and more natural.

Je suis venu pour te parler, pas pour me disputer.
(I came to talk to you, not to argue.)
Pronouns go before the infinitive

Object and reflexive pronouns belong to the second verb, so they sit between the two: je passe te prendre, monte te coucher, viens me chercher.

Aller has two jobs

Je vais manger can mean "I'm going to eat" (near future) or "I'm going off to eat" (real movement). Context tells you which one is meant. With other motion verbs, real movement is always involved.

Summary

When you move somewhere to do something, put the action straight after the motion verb as a plain infinitive: viens voir, va chercher, descends manger, je passe te prendre. Never add et, and keep pour for the moments when you really want to stress the purpose.