[Vocabulary] be off to - what does it mean?

[marker]

He's off to Paris.



Does it mean 'he set off/ has just left to get to Paris'?

Thanks in advance for replies .

 

[Pangus]

It usually refers to the future. It's the same as "he's going to Paris".

 

[5jj]

Only context can tell us exactly what it means.

 

[marker]

Only context can tell us exactly what it means.

He wrote a great book and now he's off to Paris to promote it.

 

[engee30]

Well, looks like he's gone to Paris. Surely, he's away at the moment, on his way to the capital of France.

 

[5jj]

He wrote a great book and now he's off to Paris to promote it.

He is on his way.
He will shortly be on his way.

 

[Raymott]

Then there's, "We're off too see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz", which was occurring at the time, hence present tense.

 

[5jj]

Then there's, "We're off too see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz", which was occurring at the time, hence present tense.

We're off is always present tense. In your sentence, it's used to refer to a present-time event.

 

[Raymott]

We're off is always present tense. In your sentence, it's used to refer to a present-time event.

Yes, point taken. I meant that in this case, it was used for a present time event, as opposed to all of the previous examples, including your translation of "He is off to ..." as possibly "He will shortly be on his way", which is future 'tense'.
"We're off to see the wizard" has context, so we know it can't be rendered as "We will be on our way to see the wizard".