French grammar guide explaining the futur proche tense, its usage, formation with aller + infinitive, and examples for expressing near-future actions.
The futur proche (near future) is a French tense used to describe actions that are about to happen very soon or intentions that have just been decided. It’s simpler than the regular future and more immediate in meaning. The key to forming it is using the conjugated verb aller (to go) + an infinitive verb.
- Indicates an action that is going to happen shortly
- Expresses plans, intentions, or things about to occur
- Formed with aller in the present + infinitive (e.g., je vais manger)
Formation
To make the futur proche, follow these two steps:
- Conjugate aller in the present tense to match the subject.
- Add the main verb in its infinitive form.
Example:
je vais parler (I am going to speak)
Here’s the full table for aller + parler (to speak):
| Subject | French Example | English Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Je | je vais parler | I am going to speak | I’m going to speak |
| Tu | tu vas parler | You are going to speak | You’re going to speak |
| Il/Elle/On | il/elle/on va parler | He/She/One is going to speak | He’s going to speak |
| Nous | nous allons parler | We are going to speak | We’re going to speak |
| Vous | vous allez parler | You are going to speak | You’re going to speak |
| Ils/Elles | ils/elles vont parler | They are going to speak | They’re going to speak |
Note: If the infinitive begins with a vowel or mute ‘h’, use a hyphen between vais and the verb: je vais étudier, je ne vais pas étudier.
'Futur proche' significa '___ futuro' en español.
What is the meaning of 'futur proche'?
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'Futur proche' means 'near future' in French, indicating an action that is going to happen soon.
Usage
The futur proche is used in three main situations:
- Immediate future — something that will happen very soon
e.g., Je vais sortir. (I’m going to go out.)
- Intentions or plans — a decision has been made to do something
e.g., Nous allons voyager demain. (We are going to travel tomorrow.)
- Predictions based on evidence — when something seems sure to happen
e.g., Regarde ces nuages! Il va pleuvoir. (Look at those clouds! It is going to rain.)
Note: The futur proche is more conversational and common in spoken French than the simple future tense.
Examples
Here are some example sentences showing the futur proche in context:
| Example (FR) | Example (EN) | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Je vais téléphoner à Marie. | I am going to call Marie. | Immediate future / intention |
| Tu vas étudier ce soir ? | Are you going to study tonight? | Question about a plan |
| On va regarder un film. | We are going to watch a movie. | Near-future plan |
| Ils vont partir dans 5 minutes. | They are going to leave in 5 minutes. | Very soon |
| Je ne vais pas manger maintenant. | I am not going to eat now. | Negation in futur proche |
Negation
To make the futur proche negative, simply place ne ... pas around the conjugated form of aller. The infinitive stays unchanged.
Example:
Je vais sortir. → Je ne vais pas sortir. (I am not going to go out.)
More examples:
| Positive | Negative |
|---|---|
| Tu vas venir ? | Tu ne vas pas venir ? |
| Nous allons partir tôt. | Nous n’allons pas partir tôt. |
| Elle va répondre. | Elle ne va pas répondre. |
Note: In spoken French, the ne is often dropped: *Je vais pas sortir.
How do you form the negative in the French futur proche?
Put 'ne ... pas' around the conjugated form of aller
Negation in the futur proche surrounds the conjugated 'aller' with 'ne ... pas', and the infinitive remains unchanged.
Questions
To form a question in the futur proche, you can use three methods:
- Est-ce que + subject + aller + infinitive
Est-ce que tu vas sortir ?* (Are you going to go out?)
- Inversion (more formal)
Vas-tu sortir ?* (Are you going to go out?)
- Intonation (spoken)
Tu vas sortir ?* (Are you going to go out?)
Irregular Verbs in the Infinitive
Because the futur proche relies on the infinitive, any verb can be used — including irregular ones. Simply use the correct infinitive:
| Verb | Infinitive | Example |
|---|---|---|
| aller | aller | Je vais aller au marché. |
| prendre | prendre | Elle va prendre un café. |
| faire | faire | Nous allons faire du sport. |
| sortir | sortir | Tu vas sortir ce soir ? |
| écrire | écrire | Ils vont écrire une lettre. |
Note: Only aller is conjugated; the second verb always stays in the infinitive.
Common Mistakes
- *Je vais je parle.
️ *Je vais parler.
- *Nous allons parlons.
️ *Nous allons parler.
- Using the simple future instead of futur proche (not a mistake, but less common in speech)
️ Je vais partir. (more natural) vs *Je partirai.
- Je vais pas sortir. (in formal writing)
️ *Je ne vais pas sortir.
What’s wrong with this sentence: "Je vais pas sortir." (in formal writing)
It’s missing the 'ne' for negation (should be 'Je ne vais pas sortir.')
In formal writing, negation requires both 'ne' and 'pas'; 'ne' is often omitted only in informal speech.
Summary
The futur proche is an easy way to talk about near-future events, express plans, or make predictions. Just use the present tense of aller + an infinitive verb. It’s one of the most common future forms in everyday French, especially in speech and informal writing.
Flashcards (1 of 6)
- Subject: Je
- Meaning: I’m going to speak
- English Example: I am going to speak
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
