Using "Aller" to Talk About the Future

The futur proche in French is formed using the verb aller followed by an infinitive verb. It's similar to saying "going to" do something in English. Here are the necessary conjugations for aller:

Examples of Using aller + infinitif:

• Je vais manger. (I am going to eat.)
• Il va courir demain. (He is going to run tomorrow.)
• Nous allons partir bientôt. (We are going to leave soon.)
• Vous allez voir le film demain? (Are you going to see the movie tomorrow?)
• Elles vont étudier après-demain. (They are going to study the day after tomorrow.)

Talking About Periods of Time in the Future

In order to speak about future events, use time expressions that situate the action. These expressions can modify the futur proche to provide more context about when an action will take place.

Common Time Expressions:

• Demain (tomorrow) is often used for actions happening soon.
• Après-demain (the day after tomorrow) indicates slightly more remote plans.
• Bientôt (soon) is useful for unprecise timings.
• Plus tard (later) can indicate an action will happen eventually.
• La semaine prochaine (next week) expresses plans for the coming week.
• Le mois prochain (next month) or l'année prochaine (next year) are for more distant future actions.
• Quelque chose (something) can introduce vague plans without specifying a time.

Example Sentences:

• Je vais voyager le mois prochain. (I am going to travel next month.)
• Il va rencontrer ses amis après-demain. (He is going to meet his friends the day after tomorrow.)
• Nous allons probablement déjeuner quelque chose plus tard. (We are probably going to have lunch later.)
• Elle va déménager l'année prochaine. (She is going to move next year.)
• Ils vont commencer la construction bientôt. (They are going to start the construction soon.)

These expressions help to plan and discuss future activities. The combination of aller + infinitif provides a simple and versatile way to talk about future intentions in French.