What is the Futur Proche and When Should You Use It?

The futur proche is a way to talk about things that will happen soon.

You can make it using a simple formula. It uses the present tense of the verb aller (which means "to go") and the main verb in its base form.

How to Form the Futur Proche

Formula:

• aller (present tense) + base form of the main verb

Examples:

• Je vais manger. (I am going to eat.)
• Tu vas étudier. (You are going to study.)
• Il/elle va finir. (He/She is going to finish.)
• Nous allons jouer. (We are going to play.)
• Vous allez partir. (You are going to leave.)
• Ils vont regarder. (They are going to watch.)

Important Points About the Futur Proche

1. Present Tense of Regular Verbs:

   • Regular verbs in French fit into three groups: -er, -ir, and -re.
   • For example:
     • Manger (to eat): Je mange. (I eat.)
     • Finir (to finish): Je finis. (I finish.)
     • Vendre (to sell): Je vends. (I sell.)

2. Irregular Verbs:

   • Some verbs don’t follow the rules. Here are a few:
     • Être (to be): Je suis. (I am.)
     • Avoir (to have): J’ai. (I have.)
     • Aller (to go): Je vais. (I go.)
     • Faire (to do/make): Je fais. (I do/make.)

3. Articles:

   • Articles tell us if a noun is specific or not.
     • Definite: le, la, les (the)
     • Indefinite: un, une, des (a, an)

4. Adjectives:

   • Adjectives must match the noun in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural).
   • Example: un livre intéressant (an interesting book), une fille intéressante (an interesting girl).

5. Negative Sentences:

   • To say something is not going to happen, you use ne... pas:
   • Example: Je ne vais pas manger. (I am not going to eat.)

6. Questions:

   • Common question words are: who (qui), what (que), where (où), when (quand), how (comment), and why (pourquoi).

7. Passé Composé:

   • This is for talking about things that have already happened.
   • Example: J'ai mangé. (I ate.)

8. Pronouns:

   • Pronouns replace nouns. Here are a few:
     • Je (I), me (me), se (oneself).

9. Conjunctions:

   • Use words like et (and), mais (but), ou (or), donc (so) to join ideas.

By learning how to use the futur proche, you can easily talk about what you plan to do in the future. Keep practicing to get better at sharing your future plans in French!