In French grammar, the grammatical tense “futur proche” is a way of expressing the near future. It is formed by using the present tense of the verb “aller” (to go) followed by the infinitive of the main verb. For example, “Je vais manger” means “I am going to eat.”
Conjugation of futur proche
Futur proche is conjugated accordting to the following structure:
- Subject + present tense of “aller” + infinitive of main verb
| aller (present) | + | main verb (infinitive) |
Example:
| Je vais | + | manger |
| (I am going to eat) | ||
Steps in the conjugation
- Conjugate “aller” in the present tense according to the subject.
- Add the infinitive form of the verb that describes the action.
Conjugation of “aller” in the present tense:
- Je vais (I am going)
- Tu vas (You are going)
- Il/Elle/On va (He/She/One is going)
- Nous allons (We are going)
- Vous allez (You are going)
- Ils/Elles vont (They are going)
Example with the verb “manger” (to eat):
- Je vais manger (I am going to eat)
- Tu vas manger (You are going to eat)
- Il/Elle/On va manger (He/She/One is going to eat)
- Nous allons manger (We are going to eat)
- Vous allez manger (You are going to eat)
- Ils/Elles vont manger (They are going to eat)
Usage
Futur proche is a relatively simple tense to use, and it is often used in everyday conversation. It can be used to talk about actions that are planned or expected to happen in the near future, such as “Je vais aller au cinéma ce soir” (I am going to the movies tonight) or “Elle va étudier demain matin” (She is going to study tomorrow morning).
One of the advantages of the futur proche is that it allows speakers to express future actions with a sense of immediacy. It conveys the idea that the action is going to happen soon, rather than at some unspecified point in the future.
The futur proche is also useful for expressing intentions or future plans, such as “Nous allons déménager en été” (We are going to move in the summer) or “Il va essayer de trouver un nouvel emploi” (He is going to try to find a new job).
It is important to note that the futur proche is used only for actions that will take place in the near future, typically within the next few hours, days, or weeks. For actions that will happen further in the future, futur simple is used instead.
The futur proche is a relatively informal tense and is often used in spoken French. In written French, futur simple is more commonly used to talk about future events. However, it is still important to understand and use the futur proche in everyday conversation.
In summary, futur proche is a simple and useful way of expressing the near future in French. By combining the present tense of the verb “aller” with the infinitive of the main verb, speakers can convey their plans, intentions, and expectations for actions that will take place in the near future.
10 examples of sentences with future proche
Here are ten examples of French phrases using futur proche:
- Je vais aller à la plage demain (I am going to go to the beach tomorrow)
- Nous allons manger au restaurant ce soir (we are going to eat at the restaurant tonight)
- Elle va acheter une nouvelle voiture la semaine prochaine (she is going to buy a new car next week)
- Ils vont partir en vacances en août (they are going to go on vacation in August)
- Tu vas réussir ton examen, j'en suis sûr (you are going to pass your exam, I am sure of it)
- Vous allez apprendre beaucoup de choses en étudiant à l'étranger (you are going to learn a lot by studying abroad)
- Le professeur va donner une leçon sur la grammaire demain matin (the teacher is going to give a lesson on grammar tomorrow morning)
- Mon ami va déménager dans un nouvel appartement le mois prochain (my friend is going to move to a new apartment next month)
- Nous allons visiter le Louvre pendant notre séjour à Paris (we are going to visit the Louvre during our stay in Paris)
- Les enfants vont regarder un film d'animation ce soir (the children are going to watch an animated movie tonight)
A short text in future proche
Demain, nous allons visiter le musée d'art moderne. Nous allons voir des peintures célèbres et des sculptures impressionnantes. Ensuite, nous allons déjeuner dans un café charmant près du musée. Après le déjeuner, nous allons nous promener dans le parc et profiter du beau temps. Le soir, nous allons assister à un concert de musique classique. Ce sera une journée incroyable et nous allons en garder des souvenirs précieux.
Translation:
Tomorrow, we are going to visit the modern art museum. We are going to see famous paintings and impressive sculptures. Then, we are going to have lunch in a charming café near the museum. After lunch, we are going to take a walk in the park and enjoy the beautiful weather. In the evening, we are going to attend a classical music concert. It will be an amazing day, and we are going to keep precious memories of it.
Dialog/conversation in futur proche
Below you will find an example of dialog or conversation between two people in futur proche:
Personne A: Salut! Qu'est-ce que tu vas faire ce week-end?
(Hi! What are you going to do this weekend?)
Personne B: Salut! Je vais aller à la plage avec des amis. Et toi?
(Hi! I am going to the beach with some friends. And you?)
Personne A: Ça a l'air amusant! Moi, je vais visiter mes grands-parents à la campagne.
(That sounds fun! I am going to visit my grandparents in the countryside.)
Personne B: Génial! Est-ce que tu vas y passer tout le week-end?
(Great! Are you going to stay there all weekend?)
Personne A: Oui, nous allons y rester jusqu'à dimanche soir. Nous allons faire des randonnées et profiter de la nature.
(Yes, we are going to stay until Sunday evening. We are going to hike and enjoy nature.)
Personne B: Super! Après la plage, nous allons faire un barbecue chez moi. Tu veux venir?
(Awesome! After the beach, we are going to have a barbecue at my place. Do you want to come?)
Personne A: Oui, ça me ferait plaisir! Je vais apporter des desserts.
(Yes, I would love to! I am going to bring desserts.)
Personne B: Parfait! À bientôt alors.
(Perfect! See you soon then.)
Personne A: À bientôt!
(See you soon!)
You can also see our 20 future proche exercises with answers here and our article about future in French.