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Say what you are going to do with aller plus an infinitive, what you have just done with venir de, and what is happening with être en train de.
The near future (le futur proche) says what is going to happen. Conjugate «aller» in the present and add the infinitive of the main verb: «Je vais manger», «Tu vas jouer», «Il va partir», «Nous allons voir», «Vous allez écrire», «Ils vont finir». The infinitive never changes.
It is the easiest way to talk about the future and it is used all the time in speaking: «Demain, je vais regarder un film», «Ce week-end, nous allons visiter Paris». It is not the same as the verb aller meaning "to go": «Je vais à Paris» (I go to Paris) but «Je vais visiter Paris» (I am going to visit Paris). Tap the words to hear them.
Use the near future for plans and things that are certain or about to happen: «Il va pleuvoir» (it is going to rain), «Je vais avoir quinze ans», «On va voir», «Qu'est-ce que tu vas faire ?» Time expressions: «demain», «ce soir», «ce week-end», «la semaine prochaine», «l'année prochaine», «dans deux jours», «bientôt», «plus tard», «après les examens», «cet été».
The near future can also express a firm decision or promise: «Je vais le faire», «Nous allons gagner». For more distant, formal or less certain future, use the simple future (-ai, -as, -a). Tip: if a time word in the sentence refers to later, check you have used aller or the future.
How do you say "Next week we are going to visit Paris"?
La semaine prochaine, nous allons visiter Paris. Nous allons plus the infinitive visiter.
The negative surrounds aller: «Je ne vais pas manger», «Il ne va jamais venir», «Nous n'allons plus jouer». Pronouns go before the infinitive: «Je vais le faire», «Il va leur parler», «Nous allons y aller», «Je ne vais pas en acheter». Reflexive verbs keep the pronoun with the infinitive: «Je vais me coucher», «Tu vas te lever tôt», «Ils vont se promener».
Questions: «Tu vas manger ?», «Est-ce que tu vas venir ?», «Qu'est-ce que tu vas faire ?» or with inversion: «Vas-tu venir ?», «Que vas-tu faire ?» With aller itself you can say: «Nous allons aller au cinéma» (we are going to go to the cinema).
«Venir de» plus an infinitive means "to have just": «Je viens de manger» (I have just eaten), «Elle vient de partir» (she has just left), «Nous venons d'arriver» (we have just arrived), «Ils viennent de finir». The first verb is in the present tense, and the infinitive does not change. In English we use the past, but in French this is a present tense.
Venir de is the opposite of aller: «Je vais manger» (I am about to eat) and «Je viens de manger» (I just ate). Use the imperfect for the past: «Il venait de partir quand je suis arrivé» (he had just left when I arrived). The negative is rare: «Je ne viens pas de partir» is possible but unusual.
How do you say "She has just left"?
Elle vient de partir. Venir de plus an infinitive means to have just done something.
«Être en train de» plus an infinitive stresses an action in progress, like the English "-ing": «Je suis en train de lire» (I am in the middle of reading), «Il est en train de manger», «Nous étions en train de dîner quand le téléphone a sonné». The French present alone («je lis») can also mean "I am reading", but en train de insists on the moment.
«Être sur le point de» means to be about to: «Je suis sur le point de partir», «Le film est sur le point de commencer». «Aller» in the imperfect gives "was going to": «J'allais sortir quand il a téléphoné» (I was going to go out when he called). These are Higher structures.
Both express the future. The near future is informal, common in speech, and suggests the future is near or certain: «Je vais partir bientôt». The simple future (je partirai) is more formal, used in writing and for a more distant time: «Je partirai l'année prochaine». Both are accepted in exams, but the simple future earns extra credit.
In an answer, show both: «Ce soir, je vais regarder un film. Demain, je ferai mes devoirs. L'année prochaine, j'irai à l'université.» Use the near future for the next few days and the simple future for later plans. After «si» you use the present, not the future: «Si tu viens, nous allons manger», «Si je réussis, j'irai».
Which sentence uses the simple future correctly?
L'année prochaine, j'irai à l'université. The future of aller is j'irai.
«Ce week-end, je vais voir mes amis et nous allons aller au cinéma. Je viens de recevoir mon billet, donc je suis très content. Ce soir, je suis en train de préparer mon sac. Demain, nous allons nous lever tôt, car le film commence à dix heures. La semaine prochaine, je vais réviser pour mes examens, mais je vais aussi me reposer. Plus tard, je voudrais voyager.»
It uses the near future (je vais voir, nous allons aller, nous allons nous lever), venir de (je viens de recevoir), être en train de (je suis en train de préparer), the conditional (je voudrais) and time words (ce week-end, demain, la semaine prochaine, plus tard). About seventy words.
The near future is the first future tense to use. In writing, always include one or two plans: «Je vais aller à l'université», «Nous allons partir en vacances». In translation, "I am going to eat" is «Je vais manger», "I have just eaten" is «Je viens de manger», and "I am eating" is «Je mange» or «Je suis en train de manger».
In listening, aller plus an infinitive tells you the future, and venir de plus an infinitive tells you the recent past. In reading, be careful not to translate «vais» as "go" if an infinitive follows. A common error is using the infinitive of aller («aller + infinitive» without conjugating): say «je vais», not «je aller».
What does "Ils viennent d'arriver" mean?
They have just arrived. Venir de plus an infinitive means has just.
Translate into French: I am going to play football tomorrow.
Answer: Demain, je vais jouer au football.
Translate into French: We have just arrived and we are going to eat.
Answer: Nous venons d'arriver et nous allons manger.
Translate into French: She is in the middle of working, so she is not going to come, and she has just told me.
Answer: Elle est en train de travailler, donc elle ne va pas venir, et elle vient de me le dire.
Try each one, then open the answer.
Complete: Je ___ jouer au foot. (aller, near future)
Answer: vais
Complete: Nous ___ manger. (aller)
Answer: allons
Complete: Elle ___ de partir. (venir, present)
Answer: vient
What does "bientôt" mean in English?
Answer: soon
Translate into French: I am going to watch a film tonight.
Answer: Je vais regarder un film ce soir
Translate into French: He has just finished his homework.
Answer: Il vient de finir ses devoirs
Translate into French: They are not going to come.
Answer: Ils ne vont pas venir
Translate into French: I am going to go to bed early.
Answer: Je vais me coucher tôt
Translate into French: We have just arrived and we are going to visit the town.
Answer: Nous venons d'arriver et nous allons visiter la ville
Translate into French: I am in the middle of working, so I am not going to answer.
Answer: Je suis en train de travailler, donc je ne vais pas répondre
Translate into French: Tomorrow I am going to get up early and I am going to do it.
Answer: Demain, je vais me lever tôt et je vais le faire
What does "Il était sur le point de partir quand j'ai téléphoné" mean?
Answer: He was about to leave when I rang
Longer tasks with the marking points. These are Yumio practice questions.
Translate into French. (a) I am going to play football tomorrow. (b) We have just arrived. (c) I am not going to come. [5 marks]
Answer: Demain, je vais jouer au football. Nous venons d'arriver. Je ne vais pas venir.
Write about 50 words in French about your plans this weekend. Use the near future at least three times, venir de once and être en train de once. [6 marks]
Answer: Ce week-end, je vais voir mes amis et nous allons aller au cinéma. Je viens de recevoir mon billet. Là, je suis en train de préparer mon sac. Demain, nous allons nous lever tôt pour prendre le train.
Je aller manger
Conjugate aller: je vais manger.
Je vais mangé
After aller use the infinitive: je vais manger.
Je viens manger (I have just eaten)
Add de: je viens de manger.
Il va ne pas venir
Surround aller: il ne va pas venir.
Je suis en train manger
Add de: je suis en train de manger.
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