Language/French/Grammar/Futur-Proche

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French Grammar → Verbs and Tenses → Futur Proche

Futur Proche is a French verb tense used to express an action that will happen soon. In English, it is often translated to "going to + verb". It is also known as the near future tense. This tense is very useful in everyday conversation as it allows speakers to talk about the immediate future.

Consider broadening your understanding by checking out these related lessons: Past participles used as adjectives with the verb être & Adjectives which follow verbs or verbal expressions.

Formation

To form the Futur Proche, you need the auxiliary verb "aller" (to go) conjugated in the present tense followed by the infinitive verb of the action you want to describe. Note that the verb "aller" is the one that changes with subject pronouns.

The formula is the following:

Subject Pronoun + aller (conjugated in present tense) + infinitive verb

Here are some examples:

• Je vais manger une pizza (I am going to eat a pizza)
• Tu vas étudier pour ton examen (You are going to study for your exam)
• Il/Elle va regarder une film (He/She is going to watch a movie)
• Nous allons partir en vacances (We are going to go on vacation)
• Vous allez acheter des cadeaux (You are going to buy some gifts)
• Ils/Elles vont rencontrer leur professeur (They are going to meet their teacher)

Note that the infinitive verb stays in its original form, it is not conjugated.

Usage

The Futur Proche is used for events that are going to take place shortly. It is also used to make predictions or forecast future events. It is a way to express an intention to act in the near future.

For example:

• Je vais bientôt aller faire mes courses (I am going to do my groceries soon)
• Ils vont déménager dans deux semaines (They are going to move in two weeks)
• Elle va réussir son examen (She is going to pass her exam)

Note that when using a time expression such as "dans une heure" (in one hour), "ce soir" (tonight), "demain" (tomorrow), "la semaine prochaine" (next week), etc. the Futur Proche is preferred as it is more relevant to express the future action that is going to take place.

Also, if you want to ask somebody about their near future plans, you can use:

• Qu'est-ce que tu vas faire ce soir ? (What are you going to do tonight?)
• Est-ce que vous allez voyager cet été ? (Are you going to travel this summer?)

Irregularities

The Futur Proche is very easy to form for regular verbs. However, there are a few irregular verbs in French that do not follow the same pattern described above. These verbs do not use the infinitive form, but rather their own future stem:

• Aller (to go) : je vais, tu vas, il/elle va, nous allons, vous allez, ils/elles vont
• Avoir (to have) : j'aurai, tu auras, il/elle aura, nous aurons, vous aurez, ils/elles auront
• Être (to be) : je serai, tu seras, il/elle sera, nous serons, vous serez, ils/elles seront
• Faire (to do/make) : je ferai, tu feras, il/elle fera, nous ferons, vous ferez, ils/elles feront
• Voir (to see) : je verrai, tu verras, il/elle verra, nous verrons, vous verrez, ils/elles verront

As you can see, the irregularities are quite simple to remember. It's important to note that these verbs are some of the most commonly used in French, so it's essential to learn their conjugations in the future tense.

Examples

Below are some examples of the Futur Proche, using regular and irregular verbs:

French	Pronunciation	English
Je vais manger au restaurant	(Juh veh mon-jay oh res-toh-ran)	I am going to eat at the restaurant
Tu vas acheter des fruits	(Too vahz ah-chetay day frwee)	You are going to buy some fruits
Il va jouer au foot	(Eel vah jou-ay oh foot)	He is going to play soccer
Nous allons rencontrer nos amis	(Nooz allon ren-con-tray nay-struh ah-mee)	We are going to meet our friends
Vous allez partir en vacances	(Vooz allay pahr-teer on vah-konse)	You are going to go on vacation
Ils vont être en retard	(Eel vawntrawn oh ree-arr)	They are going to be late
J'aurai fini mon travail demain	(Zho-ray fee-nee mon tra-vah-yee deh-mawn)	I will have finished my work tomorrow
Tu seras heureux en France	(Too suh-rah uh-ruh en France)	You will be happy in France
Elle fera sa valise ce soir	(Ell fair-ah sa va-leeze suh swahr)	She will pack her suitcase tonight
Nous verrons le coucher de soleil sur la plage	(Noo vair-rons luh coo-chay day so-lay sur lah plahjh)	We will see the sunset on the beach

Note that the pronunciation given in the examples above is a phonetic pronunciation, not the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcription.

Also, note that there are many other irregular verbs that use the future stem in French. However, the ones listed above are the most commonly used ones.

Conclusion

The Futur Proche is a very useful verb tense in French that allows speakers to talk about actions that will happen in the near future. It is easy to form and can be used with both regular and irregular verbs. By learning this tense, you will be able to express your intentions for the immediate future and make predictions about what will happen soon.

Remember, practice makes perfect!

Sources

• Grammar for dummies Futur Proche - Alpine French School
• Le futur proche: the near future in French

Having concluded this lesson, consider checking out these related pages: How to Use be & Nouns which change form when they refer to males or to females.

Table of Contents - French Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Alphabet and Pronunciation

• The French Alphabet
• French Vowels and Consonants
• French Accent Marks
• Introductions and Greetings

  ---

Nouns and Articles

• Gender and Number of Nouns
• Definite and Indefinite Articles
• Partitive Articles

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense of Regular Verbs
• Common Irregular Verbs
• Passé Composé
• Futur Proche

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Agreement of Adjectives
• Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
• Formation and Use of Adverbs

  ---

Negation and Interrogation

• Negation
• Interrogation

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers
• Time and Dates

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Romantic Relationships

  ---

Food and Drink

• Food and Eating Habits
• Beverages and Drinking Habits

  ---

Hobbies and Interests

• Sports and Fitness Activities
• Music and Entertainment

  ---

Geography and Travel

• Regions and Cities in France
• Transportation and Accommodation

  ---

French Culture and Arts

• French Cuisine and Gastronomy
• French Cinema and Literature

  ---

French History and Society

• Major Events in French History
• French Society and Lifestyle

Other Lessons

• Nouns with irregular plurals
• Money
• Reflexive use of me, te, se, nous, vous
• Demonstrative determiners
• Agreement of the past participle with the subject of être
• Order of multiple pronouns with imperatives
• Use of the neutral pronoun le
• Pronominal verbs, the auxiliary “être” and the agreement of the past participle
• Gender of the noun indicated by its final letter
• Verbs whose stems end in c— or g—

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