Near future (aller + infinitive)
A1 Le futur proche 16 / 52
In short
To say something is going to happen, use the present of aller + an infinitive: Je vais manger = “I am going to eat”. The main verb never changes - only aller is conjugated.
The rule
The futur proche (“near future”) is the everyday way to talk about the future in spoken French. It mirrors English “to be going to do something” almost exactly, so it is easy to build: take the present tense of aller and follow it with a verb in its infinitive (the dictionary form: manger, partir, finir, être…).
The structure is always: subject + aller (conjugated) + infinitive.
aller (present) + infinitive
First you need aller in the present - it is irregular, so learn it well:
- Je vais travailler. - I am going to work.
- Tu vas dormir. - You are going to sleep.
- Il va arriver. - He is going to arrive.
- Nous allons partir. - We are going to leave.
- Vous allez comprendre. - You are going to understand.
- Elles vont chanter. - They are going to sing.
The infinitive stays in its base form no matter who the subject is: je vais parler, nous allons parler, ils vont parler.
Planned/near-future actions
Use the futur proche for things that are:
- About to happen: Attention, tu vas tomber ! - Careful, you are going to fall!
- Planned or intended: Ce soir, je vais regarder un film. - Tonight I am going to watch a movie.
- Near-term arrangements: Demain, nous allons visiter le musée. - Tomorrow we are going to visit the museum.
Time markers often go with it: maintenant (now), tout de suite (right away), bientôt (soon), ce soir (tonight), demain (tomorrow), la semaine prochaine (next week).
Note: with a pronominal verb (see Lesson 15), the reflexive pronoun matches the subject and sits right before the infinitive: Je vais me lever. - I am going to get up. Nous allons nous coucher. - We are going to go to bed.
Negation: ne va pas + infinitive
To make it negative, wrap ne … pas around the conjugated aller - not around the infinitive:
- Je ne vais pas sortir. - I am not going to go out.
- Il ne va pas venir. - He is not going to come.
- Nous n’allons pas attendre. - We are not going to wait.
The ne becomes n’ before the vowel of allons / allez (elision). Object and reflexive pronouns stay glued to the infinitive: Je ne vais pas me lever. - I am not going to get up.
Forms & patterns
Present of aller (the only part you conjugate):
| Person | aller | Example + infinitive |
|---|---|---|
| je | vais | je vais parler |
| tu | vas | tu vas parler |
| il / elle / on | va | elle va parler |
| nous | allons | nous allons parler |
| vous | allez | vous allez parler |
| ils / elles | vont | ils vont parler |
Affirmative vs negative (note the ne … pas around aller only):
| Person | Affirmative | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| je | je vais manger | je ne vais pas manger |
| tu | tu vas manger | tu ne vas pas manger |
| il/elle | il va manger | il ne va pas manger |
| nous | nous allons manger | nous n’allons pas manger |
| vous | vous allez manger | vous n’allez pas manger |
| ils/elles | ils vont manger | ils ne vont pas manger |
Asking a question leaves the infinitive alone - only the conjugated aller can move:
| Way to ask | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Intonation | subject + aller + infinitive ? | Tu vas partir ? |
| est-ce que | Est-ce que + subject + aller + infinitive ? | Est-ce que tu vas partir ? |
| Inversion | aller-subject + infinitive ? | Vas-tu partir ? |
| Inversion, il / elle / on | va-t-il / va-t-elle / va-t-on + infinitive ? | Va-t-il partir ? |
Examples
| Français | English |
|---|---|
| Je vais appeler ma mère ce soir. | I am going to call my mother tonight. |
| Tu vas adorer ce restaurant. | You are going to love this restaurant. |
| On va prendre le train demain. | We are going to take the train tomorrow. |
| Nous allons faire les courses. | We are going to do the shopping. |
| Il ne va pas pleuvoir aujourd’hui. | It is not going to rain today. |
| Vous allez comprendre très vite. | You are going to understand very quickly. |
| Je vais me reposer un peu. | I am going to rest a little. |
| Elles ne vont pas rester longtemps. | They are not going to stay long. |
Common mistakes
- Je vais mange -> Je vais manger - after aller you need the infinitive, not a conjugated form.
- Je vais à manger -> Je vais manger - no preposition between aller and the infinitive.
- Je vais suis parti -> Je vais partir - use one infinitive; do not stack another verb form.
- Je ne vais manger pas -> Je ne vais pas manger - ne … pas wraps the conjugated aller, so pas comes before the infinitive.
- Nous ne allons pas manger -> Nous n’allons pas manger - before the vowel of allons / allez, ne elides to n’.
- Je va partir -> Je vais partir - the je form is vais, not va.
Tips
- Think English “going to”: if you can say “I am going to …”, French uses aller + infinitive.
- Only aller changes; the second verb is always the plain infinitive - one thing to conjugate.
- For the negative, keep ne … pas tight around aller: ne vais pas, ne va pas, n’allons pas.
- Remember elision: ne -> n’ before allons and allez (n’allons pas, n’allez pas).
- Reflexive and object pronouns go just before the infinitive: je vais le faire, je vais me laver.
- This is the go-to future in conversation; save the futur simple for more formal or distant plans.