pronoun y

Question

Il faut que j'y aille is translated as "I must go" but shouldn't it be "I must go there" - or is the "there" implied?

Accepted Answer

Hi Steven,
As Chris rightly says, the " y" in Il faut que j'y aille  is idiomatic. we don't really know what it refers to and a better English translation would be, I've  got to go .
Hard to explain it's just how it is .
 
Hope this helps!

Answer

Yes, in fact, the pronoun "y" connotes "there". However, there is also an idiomatic meaning, like in "on y va" which is used just as "let's go" (without the "there"). So I would say the exact maning depends on context.

The opinion of a native speaker would be greatly appreciated.

-- Chris.