Historical Context & Motivation
Every language needs a way to talk about what is going to happen next. In English, you might say "I am going to eat lunch" or "We are going to study tonight." French has a remarkably similar structure called the futur proche (the "near future"), which uses the verb aller (to go) followed by an infinitive. This construction has deep roots in how French evolved from Latin, and understanding its history helps you see why it feels so natural to speakers of both languages.
Today, if you listen to French speakers chatting about their weekend plans, ordering food, or scheduling a meeting, you will hear the futur proche far more often than any other future construction. The core question this lesson addresses is: How do you conjugate and use aller + infinitive to state your own plans clearly and confidently?
Core Principles & Definitions
The futur proche is built on a simple, repeatable formula. Once you know the present-tense forms of aller and can identify the infinitive of any French verb, you can express plans for every subject pronoun. Below are the foundational ideas you need.
Aller = The Engine
Infinitive = The Action
Subject + Aller + Infinitive
Near Future, Not Distant
Negation Wraps Aller
Visual Explanation — How the Futur Proche Is Built
As the diagram makes clear, only the middle column — the conjugated form of aller — changes depending on who the subject is. The infinitive on the right stays exactly the same no matter what. This is what makes the futur proche so learner-friendly: once you memorize the six forms of aller in the present tense, you can pair them with thousands of French infinitives to talk about virtually any plan.
How It Works — Conjugation & Sentence Assembly
Present-Tense Conjugation of Aller
Because aller is an irregular verb, you cannot simply drop the -er ending and add regular endings. You need to memorize each form individually. Here is the full conjugation in the present tense, which serves as the foundation of every futur proche sentence.
| Subject Pronoun | Aller (Present) | Pronunciation Hint |
|---|---|---|
| je | vais | veh |
| tu | vas | vah |
| il / elle / on | va | vah |
| nous | allons | ah-LOHN |
| vous | allez | ah-LAY |
| ils / elles | vont | vohn |
The Assembly Rule
Sentence Patterns & Common Infinitives
Now that you know the formula, let's explore the kinds of sentences you can build. The futur proche works with all three groups of French infinitives: -er verbs (like parler, manger, jouer), -ir verbs (like finir, choisir, dormir), and -re verbs (like vendre, attendre, lire). It even works with irregular infinitives like être, avoir, and faire.
Adding Time Expressions
To make your plans more specific, you can add time expressions at the beginning or end of the sentence. Common ones include ce soir (tonight), demain (tomorrow), ce week-end (this weekend), la semaine prochaine (next week), and après les cours (after class). For example: Demain, je vais étudier le français. (Tomorrow, I am going to study French.)
Worked Example — Describing Weekend Plans
Imagine your French teacher asks you: "Qu'est-ce que tu vas faire ce week-end ?" (What are you going to do this weekend?) Let's build a response step by step.
Futur Proche vs. Futur Simple — When to Use Which
French has more than one way to talk about the future. In French 1, you are focusing on the futur proche, but it is helpful to understand how it compares to the futur simple (the simple future tense), which you will learn in a later course. Knowing the difference now helps you appreciate why native speakers default to the futur proche in conversation.
| Feature | Futur Proche | Futur Simple |
|---|---|---|
| Formation | aller (present) + infinitive | Infinitive + special endings (-ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont) |
| Typical Use | Plans, intentions, events about to happen | Predictions, promises, formal or literary contexts |
| Time Frame Feel | Near or definite future | More distant or uncertain future |
| Register | Informal and spoken French | Formal, written, or literary French |
| Example | Je vais partir. | Je partirai. |
| Ease of Learning | Only need to memorize aller | Need to learn new endings + irregular stems |
Connection to Advanced French
The futur proche is your first gateway to expressing the future in French, but as you advance, you will discover a richer landscape of tenses and moods. The table below previews how the futur proche relates to structures you will encounter in French 2 and beyond.
| Concept | What You Know Now (French 1) | What's Coming (French 2+) |
|---|---|---|
| Expressing Future | Futur proche (aller + infinitive) | Futur simple (infinitive + endings) |
| Expressing "Would" | Not yet covered | Conditionnel (infinitive + imparfait endings) |
| Complex Plans | Simple statements: Je vais manger. | Si-clauses: Si j'ai le temps, je mangerai. |
| Asking About Plans | Qu'est-ce que tu vas faire ? | Que feras-tu ? (inversion with futur simple) |
The great news is that the futur proche will remain useful at every level of French. Even advanced speakers rely on it daily. By mastering it now, you are building a permanent part of your French-speaking toolkit that will serve you well whether you are chatting with friends, presenting in class, or someday traveling through a French-speaking country.
Practice Problems
Lesson Summary
The futur proche is formed by combining a subject pronoun with a present-tense form of aller (vais, vas, va, allons, allez, vont) followed by an infinitive — the unchanged dictionary form of any French verb. This structure directly mirrors the English "going to + verb" and is the most common way to express plans, intentions, and near-future actions in everyday spoken French.
To form a negative futur proche sentence, place ne…pas around the conjugated form of aller, leaving the infinitive untouched. Adding time expressions like demain, ce soir, or la semaine prochaine makes your plans more precise. Remember: the futur proche is preferred over the futur simple in casual conversation, making it one of the most practical tools in your French-speaking toolkit.