Language/French/Grammar/Futur-Proche

French → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Futur Proche

Introduction

In this lesson, we will learn how to express future actions in French using the "futur proche" (near future) tense. The "futur proche" is used to talk about actions that will happen in the near future. It is formed by using the verb "aller" (to go) in the present tense followed by the infinitive of the main verb. For example, "Je vais manger" means "I am going to eat."

The "futur proche" is a very useful tense in French as it allows us to talk about future plans and intentions. It is also relatively easy to form, making it a great tense for beginners to start expressing future actions. So, let's dive in and learn how to use the "futur proche" in French!

Formation

To form the "futur proche" tense, we need to conjugate the verb "aller" (to go) in the present tense and add the infinitive of the main verb. Here is the conjugation of "aller" in the present tense:

Person	Conjugation
Je	vais
Tu	vas
Il/Elle/On	va
Nous	allons
Vous	allez
Ils/Elles	vont

Once we have conjugated "aller" in the present tense, we simply add the infinitive of the main verb. Let's see some examples:

• Je vais manger. (I am going to eat.)
• Tu vas étudier. (You are going to study.)
• Il va partir. (He is going to leave.)
• Nous allons voyager. (We are going to travel.)
• Vous allez parler. (You are going to speak.)
• Ils vont arriver. (They are going to arrive.)

As you can see, the formation of the "futur proche" is quite straightforward. Let's now look at some more examples to further understand its usage.

Usage

The "futur proche" is used to talk about actions that will happen in the near future. It is commonly used to express future plans, intentions, and predictions. Here are some examples:

• Je vais aller au cinéma ce soir. (I am going to go to the cinema tonight.)
• Nous allons visiter Paris pendant les vacances. (We are going to visit Paris during the holidays.)
• Tu vas rencontrer tes amis demain. (You are going to meet your friends tomorrow.)
• Ils vont commencer un nouveau projet la semaine prochaine. (They are going to start a new project next week.)

In these examples, the "futur proche" is used to indicate future actions that are planned or expected to happen. It is important to note that the "futur proche" is not used to talk about events that are too far in the future or that are certain to happen. For those situations, we use the "futur simple" (simple future) tense.

Negation

To form the negative form of the "futur proche," we simply add "ne" before the conjugated form of "aller" and "pas" after the infinitive of the main verb. Here are some examples:

• Je ne vais pas travailler demain. (I am not going to work tomorrow.)
• Nous n'allons pas partir en vacances cet été. (We are not going to go on vacation this summer.)
• Tu ne vas pas acheter cette voiture. (You are not going to buy this car.)
• Ils ne vont pas réussir l'examen. (They are not going to pass the exam.)

As you can see, the negative form of the "futur proche" is quite simple to form. Just remember to add "ne" before "aller" and "pas" after the main verb.

Interrogation

To form a question using the "futur proche," we simply invert the subject pronoun and the conjugated form of "aller." Here are some examples:

• Est-ce que je vais partir demain ? (Am I going to leave tomorrow?)
• Vas-tu venir à la fête ? (Are you going to come to the party?)
• Va-t-il acheter le cadeau ? (Is he going to buy the gift?)
• Allons-nous visiter le musée ? (Are we going to visit the museum?)
• Allez-vous partir tôt ? (Are you going to leave early?)
• Vont-elles réussir l'examen ? (Are they going to pass the exam?)

In these examples, you can see that the subject pronoun and the conjugated form of "aller" are inverted to form the question. Additionally, you can also use the question words "est-ce que" or add a question mark at the end of the sentence to indicate that it is a question.

Summary

To summarize, the "futur proche" is a tense used to talk about future actions that will happen in the near future. It is formed by using the present tense of the verb "aller" followed by the infinitive of the main verb. The "futur proche" is commonly used to express future plans, intentions, and predictions. It is relatively easy to form and is a great tense for beginners to start expressing future actions in French.

Now that you have learned how to use the "futur proche," practice forming sentences and expressing future actions in French. Remember to pay attention to the conjugation of "aller" in the present tense and to add the infinitive of the main verb. With practice, you will become more confident in using the "futur proche" and expanding your French language skills.

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

Sources

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

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—