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The near future is used to express when you are going to do something (not “will,” that is the regular future tense). Do not confuse it with going to a location. You will know it is the futur proche if there is a form of the verb “aller” (to go) in the present tense, followed directly by an infinitive. An example in English:
- I’m going to watch a movie.
To form it, you take the form of “aller” (to go) that corresponds to your subject (person doing the action), and add an infinitive.
- je: vais + infinitif
- tu: vas + infinitif
- il/elle/on: va + infinitif
- nous: allons + infinitif
- vous: allez + infinitif
- ils/elles: vont + infinitif
Here’s how it can be translated:
- I/you/he/she/it/we/they am/are/is going to [verb].
Here is an example of a verb conjugated in the near future:
chanter (to sing)
je vais chanter=I am going to sing
tu vas chanter=you are going to sing
il/elle/on va chanter=he/she/one is going to sing
nous allons chanter=we are going to sing
vous allez chanter=you are going to sing
ils/elles vont chanter=they are going to sing
Note: Another way to express something that is about to happen in both French and English is to use “être sur le point de” (to be about to). Just use the present form of “être” (see verb conjugations) which corresponds to your subject and add “sur le point de” and then an infinitive directly after it. It’s very much like the “aller” construction. Constructions expressing the idea of the near future are called peraphrastics.
