Aller + infinitive = to be going to (Le Futur Proche)

Posted by Aurélie Drouard

In: Level A1, Verbs Tenses & Conjugation, Futur, Futur proche

Questions: 14

You already know that in some cases, we can use Le Présent to express immediate/near future actions in the Continuous Present in English (I'm coming soon) - see Using Le Présent for immediate/near future actions.

However, what we call the Near Future in English (or Futur Proche in French) is actually the following construction: to be going to + [infinitive] 
= I'm going to come.

Look at these examples of how to form Le Futur Proche in French:

Notice that Le Futur Proche, which expresses actions in the near future (= I'm going to [do something]), follows this pattern:

And Conjugate reflexive verbs in Le Futur Proche (aller + infinitive)  
Position of negation with two verbs (conjugated + infinitive) 

Examples and resources

Nous allons manger des pâtes.
We're going to eat pasta.

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On va faire quoi, demain?
What are we going to do tomorrow?

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Tu vas lire
You're going to read

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Vous allez étudier.
You're going to study.

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Je vais aller au cinéma.
I'm going to go to the cinema.

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Ils vont tomber.
They're going to fall.

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Q&A

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Amal

Kwiziq community member

2 February 2019

1 reply

Are there any specifications in futur proche.

Are there any specifications in futur proche. For example, in passé compose when conjugated with être, if the sujet is feminin then we have to add an “e” to the passé form of the verb

Cécile

Kwiziq language super star

4 February 2019

4/02/19

Hi Amal,

The futur proche is composed of the verb 'aller' in the present tense (so no past participle to agree) and the following verb in the infinitive , so just as in English -

I am going to do , we are going to sing, they are going to eat etc...

Je vais aller faire, nous allons chanter, ils vont manger...

Hope this helps!

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Stephanie

Kwiziq community member

24 June 2017

2 replies

Is there a way to see what my answers were to see where I went wrong?

Ron

Kwiziq community member

24 June 2017

24/06/17

Oui, click on your dashboard and scroll downward. Your most recent tests taken are on the lower left just below your «studyplan»

Aurélie

Kwiziq language super star

29 June 2017

29/06/17

Bonjour Stéphanie ! When you look at your Correction board, after taking a test, your answer is indicated by a symbol in the "You" column next to the answers. I hope that's helpful! À bientôt !

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Susan

Kwiziq community member

18 October 2016

1 reply

bonjour

Aurélie

Kwiziq language super star

18 October 2016

18/10/16

Bonjour Susan ! Quelle est votre question ?

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Martha

Kwiziq community member

23 August 2016

3 replies

Bonjour! Why do we say manger des pâtes when pasta is not countable? Martha

Laura

Kwiziq language super star

23 August 2016

23/08/16

Bonjour Martha, Because pâtes is countable in French. Think of it as the equivalent of "noodles." :-)

Teresa

Kwiziq community member

25 January 2017

25/01/17

Umm, then if I can say one noodle, two noodles, etc. it IS countable, like chocolates in my pocket. But if I say "do you want some chocolate" wouldn't it be "voulez-vous du chocolate"? But I don't see how a plate of spaghetti is countable in a practical sense.

Dzoan

Kwiziq community member

23 February 2017

23/02/17

Don't you say a bowl of noodleS? So why not a plate of pâteS in french?

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Rod

Kwiziq community member

15 May 2016

2 replies

Peut-on dire, par exemple, « nous allons aller continuer apprendre chanter »?

i.e., stringing as many as four (or more??) infinitives together...

Aurélie

Kwiziq language super star

17 May 2016

17/05/16

Bonjour Rod ! Here you need to be aware that some verbs are always followed by prepositions: so "je vais + infinitive", but "continuer à + infinitive" and "apprendre à + infinitive". Also "nous allons aller" sounds very redundant here. Therefore, the correct sentence would be: "Nous allons continuer à apprendre à chanter." A bientôt !

Rod

Kwiziq community member

17 May 2016

17/05/16

Bonjour Aurélie, A great reminder about the prepositions being REQUIRED with certain verbs, even in the infinitive. So very clarifying, and therefore so very helpful. Je te remercie!

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