Near future: aller + infinitive
The easiest way to talk about the future: aller (present) + infinitive. It is like “going to” and is extremely common in speech.
| aller | + infinitive | |
|---|---|---|
| je | vais | partir |
| tu | vas | travailler |
| il / elle / on | va | pleuvoir |
| nous | allons | dîner |
| vous | allez | voir |
| ils / elles | vont | arriver |
Notes
- Negation goes around aller: Je ne vais pas venir.
- Pronouns go before the infinitive: Je vais le faire. Tu vas lui téléphoner ?
- Use it for plans and for things about to happen: Attention, tu vas tomber !
Examples
- Ce soir, je vais regarder un film.Tonight I’m going to watch a film.
- Qu’est-ce que tu vas faire cet été ?What are you going to do this summer?
- Il va pleuvoir.It’s going to rain.
- Nous n’allons pas rester longtemps.We aren’t going to stay long.
- Nous allons visiter le musée demain.We are going to visit the museum tomorrow.
Common mistakes
- ✗ Je vas partir demain.✓ Je vais partir demain.The je form of aller is vais, which has little in common with English go.
- ✗ Il va neige.✓ Il va neiger.After aller the main verb stays in the infinitive, without any ending.
- ✗ Nous allons pas rester.✓ Nous n’allons pas rester.The negation ne … pas wraps around aller, which English am not going to does not do.
- ✗ Je vais faire le.✓ Je vais le faire.Object pronouns come before the infinitive and not after it.
- ✗ Ils vont partent demain.✓ Ils vont partir demain.The second verb is an infinitive and takes no personal ending.