An Overview of the Futur Proche
The futur proche ("near future") is used to describe an action that will take place in the future, e.g.: je vais étudier demain soir. While the name "proche" suggests that the action being described will happen quite soon, that is not necessarily the case. For example, it would be perfectly acceptable to write Dans 100 ans, la vie va être très différente. The futur proche is an alternative to the simple future, but both can be used in writing for near or distant future actions.
How to Form the Futur Proche
The futur proche is formed by using the present tense of the verb aller followed by an infinitive. This is illustrated in the following table:
| futur proche |
Translation |
je vais parler
|
"I am going to speak" |
tu vas parler
|
"you are going to speak" |
il,elle, on va parler
|
"he, she, one is going to speak" |
nous allons parler
|
"we are going to speak" |
| vous allez parler |
"you are going to speak" |
ils/elles vont parler
|
"they are going to speak" |
Futur simple or Futur Proche?
These can both be used to describe future events. Some grammarians have suggested that the future proche is preferred for events that are more certain or likely to occur in the near future. However, both kinds of future can be used with such events. The main difference is that the future simple is more formal and more frequent when writing.
Questions about the Futur Proche
Q: Why is it Ilva partir demain and NOT il va à partir demain?
Unlike the English verb "go", the French verb aller is followed directly by an infinitive (there is no intervening preposition).
Q: Why is it Je vais chercher un livre and NOT je vas chercher un livre?
Remember, the "je" form of aller is written with an "i" and is different from all other forms.
Q: Why is it je vais manger and NOT je vais mangé?
Don't forget, the verb aller is followed by the infinitive; it is never followed by the past participle.
BonPatron