J'allais + [infinitive] to express the near future (Le Futur Proche) in the imperfect in French

Written by Qualified French Expert Aurélie Drouard , HKH, Licence d'anglais LLCE

Last updated: 2022-05-20

Look at these examples of Le Futur Proche dans le Passé, or how to say 'was/were going to' :

J'allais fermer la porte quand tu m'as appelé.I was going to close the door when you called me.

Tu allais manquer ton avion, c'est pour ça que tu t'es dépêché.You were going to miss your plane, that's why you rushed.

Elle allait appeler la police !She was going to call the police!

Allions-nous y arriver ? Personne ne le savait.Were we going to make it? No one knew.

Vous alliez vous rejoindre plus tard.You were going to meet later.

Oh là là ! Qu'est-ce qu'ils allaient s'ennuyer !My oh my! They were going to get so bored!

Note that to express 'I was going to + verb', you use l'Imparfait of the verb aller in French, followed by the infinitive.

ATTENTION:
Using Le Passé Composé would mean 'I went to do'!
e.g. Je suis allé faire mes devoirs. (I went to do my homework.)

Want to make sure your French sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Braimap today »

Learn more about these related French grammar topics

Examples and resources