Using Le Présent for immediate/near future actions

In: Level A1, Verbs Tenses & Conjugation, Présent indicatif
Questions: 12

Look at these sentences:

Je prends mon train dans une heure.
I'm taking my train in an hour.

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

J'arrive! 
I'm coming! I'll be right there!

As well as current and habitual actions, and timeless facts, Le Présent can be used to express an action in the immediate future.

 

Learn more about these related French grammar topics

Présent indicatif

Examples and resources

Demain, il arrive à dix heures.
Tomorrow, he's arriving at ten o'clock.

Je viens demain
I'm coming tomorrow

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

Allons-y! 
Let's go!

Je prends mon train dans une heure.
I'm taking my train in an hour.

J'arrive! 
I'm coming! I'll be right there!

Q&A

Jonathan

Kwiziq community member

2 December 2018

0 replies

Le futur proche vs le présent

Ron gave some good guidance on j’arrive, but is there general guidance on when to use le présent and when to use le futur proche? For example, it seems to me that « Je vais partir d’ici deux heures » would be just fine, but based on the lesson maybe that’s not the case?

David

Kwiziq community member

11 July 2018

1 reply

Demain

I was marked wrong in a quiz for "Tu achètes une nouvelle voiture demain". It wanted "Tu vas acheter une nouvelle voiture demain". How does this differ from the example in this lesson "Je viens demain".


Alan

Kwiziq community member

16 July 2018

16/07/18

I think your answer would also be valid, but the English version you're asked to translate is: "You are going to buy a new car tomorrow" which hints that you should use the futur proche. If it had been "You're buying a new car tomorrow" then your answer would be correct.

Daniel

Kwiziq community member

22 June 2017

2 replies

Curieux?

Quel est le difference entre Nous sommes partir dans dix minutes et Nous partons dans dix minutes? Partir étant un verbe de mouvement conjugué à être?

Ron

Kwiziq community member

24 June 2017

24/06/17

Bonjour Daniel, If I am correctly understanding your question, nous sommes partir is not a phrase in French. nous sommes partis is however. To that end, partir est une verbe de mouvement qui est conjugué avec être. However, the lesson that you have referenced is addressing the use of the present tense to explain an immediate, near future action and does not relate to verbs possibly in the passé composé with or sans être. For example, if I see you in the hallway by a classroom, I might say «j'arrive» meaning I will be coming to the class very shortly. Again «arriver» est une verbe de mouvement qui utilise être tel l'auxiliare. J'espère que cela vous aidera. Bonne chance !

Cécile

Kwiziq language super star

23 December 2018

23/12/18

Hi Daniel,

You cannot use the past tense ( sommes partis) about something you are going to do in the future( 10 minutes time)....

Brian

Kwiziq community member

26 May 2017

1 reply

How near is near future? In the words of a song, demain matin je partirai.

Ron

Kwiziq community member

31 May 2017

31/05/17

Bonsoir Brian, C'est drôle ! I had a very similar question in one of my French classes a few years back and the prof explained it thusly, to use J'arrive as a future statement she considered that to be sometime within the next 24 hours. She further explained the near future statement using aller, i.e. Je vais venir, to be a time frame of 3 to 5 days out. Anything longer than 5 days out she considered as needing the future tense. I am unsure where she had come up with this "time frames", but on a certain level, it kinda makes sense. J'espère que cela vous aiderez. Bonne chance, Ron

Cameron

Kwiziq community member

23 May 2017

1 reply

Present or past?

This lesson is titled Using Le Passé Composé for immediate/near future actions but it is really on using the present tense to speak of near future actions, not Le Passé Composé. Or am I missing something?

Aurélie

Kwiziq language super star

23 May 2017

23/05/17

Bonjour Cameron ! That's a mistake on our part: it was indeed Le Présent ! Thanks to you this title has now been fixed ! Merci beaucoup!

Chris

Kwiziq community member

14 May 2016

1 reply

Query right answers

Isn't "J’arriverai dans cinq minutes" also a correct answer here?

Laura

Kwiziq language super star

14 July 2016

14/07/16

Bonjour Chris, Yes, but this lesson is specifically about using the present tense for future actions, which occurs in both French and English.

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