Expressing immediate and near-future actions with the present tense (Le Présent) in French

Written by Qualified French Expert Aurélie Drouard , HKH, Licence d'anglais LLCE
Last updated: 2022-05-23
Add to Notebook58 questions
In French, to express actions in the immediate future, we often use Le Présent Indicatif.

Look at the following examples:

Ce soir, je fais à dîner.Tonight, I'm making dinner.

Son train arrive à dix heures demain matin.His train arrives at ten tomorrow morning.

Elle te rappelle plus tard, promis.She's calling you back later, I promise.

Je suis là dans deux secondes !I'll be there in two seconds!

J'arrive tout de suite !I'm coming right away!
I'll be right there!

Note that in English, the Simple Present, English Present Progressive or Simple Future can be used to talk about actions taking place in the immediate future:

Tonight, I'm making dinner. 
My train arrives tomorrow morning at 6am.
I'll be there in a minute! 

See also other uses of Le Présent Indicatif:

Expressing current actions, habits and situations (English Present Tense) with the present tense (Le Présent) in French

Expressing ongoing actions (English Present Continuous) with the present tense (Le Présent) in French

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

J'arrive tout de suite !I'm coming right away!
I'll be right there!
Je suis là dans deux secondes !I'll be there in two seconds!
Ce soir, je fais à dîner.Tonight, I'm making dinner.
Son train arrive à dix heures demain matin.His train arrives at ten tomorrow morning.
Je prends mon train dans une heure.I'm taking my train in an hour.
Elle te rappelle plus tard, promis.She's calling you back later, I promise.
Je viens demainI'm coming tomorrow
I'll be right with you...