1. Le Futur Proche (Near Future: Aller + Infinitive = "Going to...")
In everyday spoken French, the #1 way to talk about upcoming plans, intentions, and events that are about to happen is the futur proche (near future). It is formed by conjugating aller ("to go") in the present tense + the infinitive of the action verb (with no preposition in between):
| Subject | Present of Aller | + Infinitive Verb | Full French Example | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Je | je vais | partir / étudier | Je vais partir demain matin. | I am going to leave tomorrow morning. |
| Tu | tu vas | prendre / voir | Tu vas prendre le train de huit heures ? | Are you going to take the 8:00 train? |
| Il / Elle / On | il/elle/on va | pleuvoir / acheter | Regarde les nuages, il va pleuvoir ! | Look at the clouds, it is going to rain! |
| Nous | nous allons | dîner / visiter | Ce soir, nous allons dîner au restaurant. | Tonight, we are going to dine at the restaurant. |
| Vous | vous allez | faire / passer | Qu'est-ce que vous allez faire cet été ? | What are you going to do this summer? |
| Ils / Elles | ils/elles vont | arriver / déménager | Mes cousins vont arriver dans dix minutes. | My cousins are going to arrive in ten minutes. |
2. Le Passé Récent (Recent Past: Venir de + Infinitive = "Just did...")
To express an action that has just happened moments ago ("I just ate", "The train just left"), French uses the passé récent: present tense of venir + de / d' + infinitive:
| Subject | Present of Venir | + DE / D' + Infinitive | Full French Example | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Je | je viens | de finir / d'arriver | Je viens de finir mon travail. | I have just finished my work. |
| Tu | tu viens | de téléphoner / d'acheter | Tu viens d'acheter une nouvelle voiture ? | Did you just buy a new car? |
| Il / Elle / On | il/elle/on vient | de partir / d'appeler | Le train pour Lyon vient de partir. | The train for Lyon has just left. |
| Nous | nous venons | de manger / d'emménager | Merci, mais nous venons de déjeuner. | Thank you, but we just had lunch. |
| Vous | vous venez | de rentrer / d'entendre | Vous venez de rentrer de vacances ? | Did you just get back from vacation? |
| Ils / Elles | ils/elles viennent (double n!) | de sortir / d'ouvrir | Les magasins viennent d'ouvrir. | The shops have just opened. |
3. Negation & Reflexive Verbs in Futur Proche and Passé Récent
Watch where ne ... pas and reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nous, vous) are placed in these two structures:
| Structure | Word Order Formula | French Example | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Negation in Futur Proche | Subject + ne + [aller] + pas + Infinitive | Je ne vais pas travailler demain. Ils ne vont pas venir ce soir. |
I am not going to work tomorrow. They are not going to come tonight. |
| Reflexive Verb in Futur Proche | Subject + [aller] + me/te/se/nous/vous + Infinitive | Je vais me lever tôt demain. Nous allons nous reposer ce week-end. |
I am going to get up early tomorrow. We are going to rest this weekend. |
| Negative Reflexive in Futur Proche | Subject + ne + [aller] + pas + Reflexive + Infinitive | Je ne vais pas me coucher tard. | I am not going to go to bed late. |
| Reflexive Verb in Passé Récent | Subject + [venir] + de + me/te/se/nous/vous + Infinitive | Il vient de se réveiller. Je viens de m'habiller. |
He has just woken up. I have just gotten dressed. |
4. Essential Time Markers (Indicateurs de Temps)
| Tense | French Time Marker | English Meaning | Example in Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Futur Proche (Upcoming) |
ce soir / cet après-midi | tonight / this afternoon | Ce soir, on va regarder un match. |
| demain (matin / soir) | tomorrow (morning / evening) | Demain, je vais visiter le Louvre. | |
| la semaine prochaine / le mois prochain | next week / next month | Elle va déménager le mois prochain. | |
| dans + [duration] | in + [time from now] | L'avion va décoller dans dix minutes. | |
| Passé Récent | à l'instant / il y a deux minutes | just now / two minutes ago | Marc vient de sortir à l'instant. |
- Don't Confuse "Aller + Infinitive" and "Venir DE + Infinitive": Aller takes no preposition (Nous allons partir), whereas venir MUST take de / d' (Nous venons de partir).
- Contract "de" to "d'" Before a Vowel/Silent H in Passé Récent: Write Je viens d'arriver, Il vient d'acheter un billet, Elle vient d'ouvrir la fenêtre.
- Use "Dans" (Not "En") for "In X Minutes/Days" from Now: To say something is going to happen in 5 minutes, say Le train va partir dans cinq minutes (never en cinq minutes!).
- Adjust the Reflexive Pronoun to Match the Subject: Even though the second verb is in the infinitive, change se to me, te, se, nous, vous: Tu vas te préparer, Je viens de me réveiller.
Frequently Asked Questions — Futur Proche (Near Future) & Passé Récent
How do you form the futur proche in French?
Conjugate the verb 'aller' in the present tense (je vais, tu vas, il va, nous allons, vous allez, ils vont) followed directly by any verb in the infinitive: Je vais voyager (I am going to travel).
How do you say 'I just did something' (passé récent) in French?
Conjugate the verb 'venir' in the present tense (je viens, tu viens, il vient, nous venons, vous venez, ils viennent) + 'de' (or 'd'' before a vowel) + the infinitive: Je viens de manger (I just ate), Elle vient d'arriver (She just arrived).
Where does 'ne ... pas' go in the futur proche?
'Ne ... pas' wraps around the conjugated form of 'aller', right in front of the infinitive: Je ne vais pas sortir ce soir (I am not going to go out tonight).
Can you use the verb 'aller' twice in the futur proche ('Je vais aller')?
Yes! Just as English says 'I am going to go to Paris', French says 'Je vais aller à Paris' (present of aller + infinitive aller).