Near Future in French

Overview

The near future, known as the futur proche in French, is one of the most practical tenses you will learn at the A2 level. It allows you to talk about actions that are about to happen or that you plan to do. If you can conjugate the verb aller (to go), you already have everything you need.

The futur proche works almost exactly like the English construction "going to + verb." You say je vais manger (I'm going to eat) just as naturally as you would in English. This makes it one of the most accessible future tenses for learners.

In everyday spoken French, the futur proche is actually used more often than the formal simple future (futur simple). French speakers reach for it whenever they talk about plans, intentions, or imminent events, making it an essential part of your conversational toolkit.

How It Works

The futur proche is formed with two parts:

conjugated form of aller (present tense) + infinitive of the main verb

Subject	Aller	+ Infinitive	Example
je	vais	parler	Je vais parler.
tu	vas	manger	Tu vas manger.
il/elle/on	va	partir	Il va partir.
nous	allons	finir	Nous allons finir.
vous	allez	voir	Vous allez voir.
ils/elles	vont	comprendre	Ils vont comprendre.

Key rules:

• The main verb always stays in the infinitive -- it never changes
• In negation, ne...pas wraps around aller: Je ne vais pas manger.
• With reflexive verbs, the reflexive pronoun goes before the infinitive: Je vais me coucher.
• Object pronouns also go before the infinitive: Je vais le faire.

Examples in Context

French	English	Note
Je vais manger.	I'm going to eat.	Basic near future
Il va pleuvoir.	It's going to rain.	Weather prediction
Nous allons partir demain.	We're going to leave tomorrow.	Future plans
Qu'est-ce que tu vas faire?	What are you going to do?	Question form
Elle va acheter une voiture.	She's going to buy a car.	Planned action
On va voir un film ce soir.	We're going to see a movie tonight.	Informal "we" with on
Je ne vais pas venir.	I'm not going to come.	Negative form
Tu vas te coucher tôt?	Are you going to go to bed early?	Reflexive verb
Ils vont arriver dans cinq minutes.	They're going to arrive in five minutes.	Imminent action
Vous allez adorer ce restaurant.	You're going to love this restaurant.	Prediction
Ça va être super!	It's going to be great!	Informal with ça
Je vais lui téléphoner.	I'm going to call him/her.	Object pronoun before infinitive

Common Mistakes

Conjugating the main verb instead of leaving it in the infinitive

• Wrong: Je vais mange.
• Right: Je vais manger.
• Why: Only aller is conjugated. The second verb must always stay in the infinitive form.

Placing negation around the infinitive instead of aller

• Wrong: Je vais ne pas manger.
• Right: Je ne vais pas manger.
• Why: The negation ne...pas surrounds the conjugated verb (aller), not the infinitive.

Forgetting the reflexive pronoun placement

• Wrong: Je me vais coucher.
• Right: Je vais me coucher.
• Why: The reflexive pronoun goes directly before the infinitive, not before aller.

Using futur proche for very distant or formal future events

• Awkward: La Terre va disparaître dans cinq milliards d'années.
• Better: La Terre disparaîtra dans cinq milliards d'années.
• Why: For distant or formal predictions, the futur simple is more appropriate.

Practice Tips

1. Start by making a list of five things you are going to do today, using je vais + infinitive. Then try the same exercise with other subjects (il va, nous allons, etc.).
2. Practice the negative form by listing things you are not going to do this weekend. This helps you get comfortable wrapping ne...pas around aller.
3. Listen to French conversations in podcasts or videos and count how often speakers use the futur proche versus the futur simple -- you will notice the futur proche dominates in casual speech.

Related Concepts

• Aller (to go) -- the verb that forms the basis of the futur proche
• Simple Future -- the formal future tense, often contrasted with the futur proche