Near Future: Aller + Infinitive

The futur proche (near future) is the easiest way to talk about the future in French. It is formed with the verb aller (to go) conjugated in the present tense, followed by an infinitive. It is the equivalent of English "going to do" something.

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Formation

Subject + aller (present tense) + infinitive

Aller in the Present Tense

Subject	Aller
je	vais
tu	vas
il / elle / on	va
nous	allons
vous	allez
ils / elles	vont

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Examples with Different Verb Types

French	English
Je vais manger.	I am going to eat.
Tu vas partir.	You are going to leave.
Il va finir ses devoirs.	He is going to finish his homework.
Elle va prendre le train.	She is going to take the train.
On va regarder un film.	We are going to watch a film.
Nous allons voyager en France.	We are going to travel to France.
Vous allez comprendre.	You are going to understand.
Ils vont acheter une maison.	They are going to buy a house.
Elles vont se marier.	They are going to get married.

Tip: The futur proche is used far more in everyday spoken French than the futur simple. It is the go-to way to express future plans in conversation.

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When to Use the Futur Proche

1. Plans and Intentions

• Ce soir, je vais cuisiner un bon repas. — Tonight, I am going to cook a good meal.
• Demain, nous allons visiter le musée. — Tomorrow, we are going to visit the museum.
• L'année prochaine, ils vont déménager. — Next year, they are going to move.

2. Predictions Based on Evidence

• Regarde les nuages! Il va pleuvoir. — Look at the clouds! It is going to rain.
• Attention, tu vas tomber! — Careful, you are going to fall!
• Elle a beaucoup étudié. Elle va réussir. — She studied a lot. She is going to pass.

3. Imminent Actions

• Le film va commencer. — The film is about to start.
• Le bus va arriver. — The bus is about to arrive.
• Je vais vous expliquer. — I am going to explain to you.

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Negation

Place ne...pas around aller (not the infinitive):

Affirmative	Negative
Je vais manger.	Je ne vais pas manger.
Tu vas partir.	Tu ne vas pas partir.
Elle va venir.	Elle ne va pas venir.
Nous allons sortir.	Nous n'allons pas sortir.
Ils vont travailler.	Ils ne vont pas travailler.

Tip: In spoken French, the "ne" is often dropped: "Je vais pas manger." Include it in writing.

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With Reflexive Verbs

The reflexive pronoun goes before the infinitive:

French	English
Je vais me lever tôt.	I am going to get up early.
Tu vas te coucher.	You are going to go to bed.
Elle va s'habiller.	She is going to get dressed.
Nous allons nous promener.	We are going to go for a walk.
Ils vont se dépêcher.	They are going to hurry.

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With Object Pronouns

Object pronouns also go before the infinitive:

French	English
Je vais le faire.	I am going to do it.
Tu vas lui parler.	You are going to talk to him/her.
Elle va les acheter.	She is going to buy them.
Nous allons en manger.	We are going to eat some.
Vous allez y aller.	You are going to go there.

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Futur Proche vs Present Tense for the Future

In some contexts, French uses the present tense for future events (like English "I leave tomorrow"):

Present (scheduled)	Futur Proche (planned)
Le train part à 8h. (The train leaves at 8.)	Je vais prendre le train de 8h. (I'm going to take the 8 o'clock train.)
L'école commence lundi. (School starts Monday.)	Je vais commencer l'école lundi. (I'm going to start school Monday.)

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Asking Questions

Intonation:

• Tu vas venir? — Are you going to come?

Est-ce que:

• Est-ce que tu vas venir? — Are you going to come?

Inversion:

• Vas-tu venir? — Are you going to come?
• Va-t-il pleuvoir? — Is it going to rain?
• Allez-vous rester? — Are you going to stay?

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Common Time Expressions

French	English
demain	tomorrow
ce soir	tonight / this evening
cet après-midi	this afternoon
la semaine prochaine	next week
le mois prochain	next month
l'année prochaine	next year
bientôt	soon
dans cinq minutes	in five minutes
plus tard	later
tout à l'heure	in a little while

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake	Why It Is Wrong	Correct Version
Je vais mangé.	Must use infinitive, not past participle	Je vais manger.
Je vais de manger.	No "de" — aller is followed directly by infinitive	Je vais manger.
Je ne vais manger pas.	Ne...pas must wrap around aller	Je ne vais pas manger.
Je vais me lever. (correct!)	This is actually correct!	—

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Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Form the futur proche.

1. Je _______ (travailler) demain.
2. Elle _______ (partir) ce soir.
3. Nous _______ (manger) au restaurant.
4. Tu _______ (se coucher) tôt?
5. Ils _______ (acheter) une voiture.

Answers: 1. vais travailler 2. va partir 3. allons manger 4. vas te coucher 5. vont acheter

Exercise 2: Make these negative.

1. Je vais sortir. → ___
2. Elle va venir. → ___
3. Nous allons manger. → ___

Answers: 1. Je ne vais pas sortir. 2. Elle ne va pas venir. 3. Nous n'allons pas manger.

Exercise 3: Translate into French.

1. I am going to read a book.
2. They are going to travel to Spain.
3. Are you going to come tomorrow?
4. She is going to get dressed.

Answers: 1. Je vais lire un livre. 2. Ils vont voyager en Espagne. 3. Tu vas venir demain? / Est-ce que tu vas venir demain? 4. Elle va s'habiller.

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Summary

Concept	Detail
Name	Futur proche (near future)
Formation	aller (present) + infinitive
Negation	ne + aller + pas + infinitive
Reflexive	aller + reflexive pronoun + infinitive
Object pronouns	aller + pronoun + infinitive
Use	Plans, intentions, predictions, imminent events