A2Unit 5 of the A2 course · « Les projets »
The quickest way to talk about the future in French is the futur proche: « je vais partir ». Here is how to form it, how to say what you won't do, and the time expressions that go with it.
By the end of this unit you can: talk about plans with the futur proche.
Take the present tense of aller and add a verb in the infinitive. It works just like English « going to ».
Ne… pas goes around aller. The infinitive stays at the end.
With semaine, mois and année, prochain comes after the noun and agrees with it. Dans + an amount of time means « in … from now ».
With verbs like se reposer, the little pronoun changes with the person and sits right before the infinitive, not before aller.
In conversation, French speakers say on far more than nous. On uses the same verb form as il and elle, so it's easier too. A question with on is a handy way to suggest something.
Refuse with désolé(e), give a short reason, and suggest une autre fois. A bare « non » sounds rude.
Tom, a student in Lyon, texts his friend Chloé to plan the weekend. Follow their messages and help him reply.
Tap 🔊 to hear each one, recorded by a native-sounding French voice.
| Listen | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| je vais…Je vais manger. (I'm going to eat.) | I'm going to…Aller + an infinitive: the easiest way to talk about the future. | |
| tu vas… | you're going to… (informal) | |
| il va / elle va… | he's / she's going to… | |
| nous allons… | we're going to… | |
| vous allez… | you're going to… (plural / formal) | |
| ils vont / elles vont… | they're going to… | |
| je ne vais pas…Je ne vais pas travailler demain. (I'm not going to work tomorrow.) | I'm not going to…Ne… pas wraps aller, not the infinitive. |
| Listen | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| ce soir | tonight / this evening | |
| ce week-end | this weekendIn Québec you'll hear cette fin de semaine. | |
| la semaine prochaine | next weekProchain goes after the noun here: le mois prochain, l'année prochaine. | |
| l'année prochaine | next year | |
| dans deux jours | in two daysDans + an amount of time = that long from now: dans une heure, dans un mois. | |
| bientôtÀ bientôt ! (See you soon!) | soon |
| Listen | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| les vacances | holiday(s) / vacationAlways plural and feminine: de bonnes vacances. | |
| partir en vacancesNous partons en vacances en août. (We're going on holiday in August.) | to go on holiday | |
| plage(feminine) | beach | |
| randonnée(feminine) | hikeFaire une randonnée means to go hiking. | |
| faire du sport | to do sport / to exercise | |
| concert(masculine) | concert |
| Listen | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| on | we (everyday speech)On takes the same verb form as il and elle: on va, on mange. | |
| tu veux… ?Tu veux venir au cinéma ? (Do you want to come to the cinema?) | do you want to…? | |
| tu es libre… ?Tu es libre samedi ? (Are you free on Saturday?) | are you free…? | |
| avec plaisir | I'd love to / with pleasure | |
| volontiers | gladlyA warm, slightly formal yes. | |
| pourquoi pas ? | why not? | |
| désolé(e), je ne peux pas | sorry, I can'tA woman writes désolée. It sounds the same. | |
| une autre foisUne autre fois, peut-être ? (Another time, maybe?) | another time |
This unit is part of French Ultimate's A2 course: 5 short lessons with an animated video each, speaking and listening practice, a reading and an end-of-unit test.
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