The French Near Future tense, also known as “Futur proche,” is a verb tense used to express actions that will happen in the near future. It is formed by combining the present tense of the verb “aller” (to go) with the infinitive form of the main verb. The Futur proche is widely used in spoken and informal French, making it an essential tense for beginners to learn.
Formation of the French Near Future Tense
To form the French Near Future tense, you need to conjugate the verb “aller” in the present tense and place it in front of the infinitive form of the main verb. Here is the conjugation of “aller” in the present tense:
Je vais (I go/I am going)
Tu vas (You go/You are going)
Il/Elle/On va (He/She/One goes/He/She/One is going)
Nous allons (We go/We are going)
Vous allez (You go/You are going)
Ils/Elles vont (They go/They are going)
Once you have the conjugated form of “aller,” you simply add the infinitive form of the main verb at the end. Here are some examples to illustrate the formation of the French Near Future tense:
Je vais manger. (I am going to eat.)
Tu vas jouer. (You are going to play.)
Il va travailler. (He is going to work.)
Nous allons partir. (We are going to leave.)
Vous allez étudier. (You are going to study.)
Ils vont regarder un film. (They are going to watch a movie.)
Conjugation of Regular Verbs in the French Near Future Tense
Regular -er Verbs:
The conjugation of regular -er verbs in the French Near Future tense is straightforward. You simply keep the infinitive form of the verb and place it after the appropriate form of “aller.” Here are some examples:
Je vais chanter. (I am going to sing.)
Tu vas danser. (You are going to dance.)
Il va jouer. (He is going to play.)
Nous allons manger. (We are going to eat.)
Vous allez parler. (You are going to speak.)
Ils vont étudier. (They are going to study.)
Regular -ir Verbs:
The conjugation of regular -ir verbs in the French Near Future tense is similar to regular -er verbs. Here are some examples:
Je vais finir. (I am going to finish.)
Tu vas choisir. (You are going to choose.)
Il va réfléchir. (He is going to think.)
Nous allons réussir. (We are going to succeed.)
Vous allez obéir. (You are going to obey.)
Ils vont grandir. (They are going to grow.)
Regular -re Verbs:
For regular -re verbs, you also keep the infinitive form and add it after the appropriate form of “aller.” Here are some examples:
Je vais attendre. (I am going to wait.)
Tu vas vendre. (You are going to sell.)
Il va descendre. (He is going to descend.)
Nous allons entendre. (We are going to hear.)
Vous allez répondre. (You are going to answer.)
Ils vont apprendre. (They are going to learn.)
Conjugation of Irregular Verbs in the French Near Future Tense
Some common irregular verbs in the French Near Future tense include “avoir” (to have), “être” (to be), and “faire” (to do/make). Here are their conjugations:
Je vais avoir. (I am going to have.)
Tu vas être. (You are going to be.)
Il va faire. (He is going to do/make.)
Nous allons avoir. (We are going to have.)
Vous allez être. (You are going to be.)
Ils vont faire. (They are going to do/make.)
It’s important to note that the conjugation of “aller” remains the same regardless of the main verb or its irregularity. Only “aller” changes according to the subject pronoun.
Examples of Sentences in the French Near Future Tense
To further illustrate the usage of the French Near Future tense, here are some example sentences using different verbs and pronouns:
Je vais voyager cet été. (I am going to travel this summer.)
Tu vas étudier pour ton examen. (You are going to study for your exam.)
Il va acheter une nouvelle voiture. (He is going to buy a new car.)
Nous allons visiter Paris l’année prochaine. (We are going to visit Paris next year.)
Vous allez rencontrer vos amis ce soir. (You are going to meet your friends tonight.)
Ils vont déménager dans une nouvelle maison. (They are going to move to a new house.)
In these sentences, you can see how the French Near Future tense is formed by combining the appropriate form of “aller” with the infinitive form of the main verb. This tense allows you to express future actions with ease and is commonly used in everyday French conversations.
Conclusion
The French Near Future tense (Futur proche) is a valuable verb tense for beginners to learn, as it allows them to express actions that will happen in the near future. By combining the present tense of “aller” with the infinitive form of the main verb, you can easily form sentences in this tense. Whether you are using regular or irregular verbs, the conjugation of “aller” remains consistent, while the main verb remains in its infinitive form. Practice using the French Near Future tense in various contexts to become more comfortable with its usage, and soon you’ll be able to express future actions in French with confidence.
Originally posted 2023-07-16 19:07:09.