Introduction
Aller + infinitive talks about the near future. It is the most common way to talk about the future in everyday French.
aller+infinitive
| subject | aller | example |
|---|---|---|
| je | vais | je vais partir |
| tu | vas | tu vas partir |
| il, elle, on | va | elle va partir |
| nous | allons | nous allons partir |
| vous | allez | vous allez partir |
| ils, elles | vont | ils vont partir |
- Je vais partir dans cinq minutes.I'm going to leave in five minutes.
- Ils vont arriver bientôt.They're going to arrive soon.
- Je vais à partir.Je vais partir.
- Elle vas partir.Elle va partir.
Negatives and Pronouns
Ne and pas go around aller. Object pronouns go before the infinitive.
- Je ne vais pas partir.I'm not going to leave.
- Je vais lui téléphoner.I'm going to call him.
- Je ne vais partir pas.Je ne vais pas partir.
Aller + Infinitive or the Future Tense
Both can mean "will" or "going to". Aller + infinitive sounds more immediate and is more common in speech. The future tense sounds more distant or formal.
- Je vais appeler le médecin.I'm going to call the doctor.
- Un jour, les robots feront tout.One day, robots will do everything.
Was Going To
Put aller in the imparfait to say what was about to happen.
- Il allait partir quand le téléphone a sonné.He was about to leave when the phone rang.
- J'allais t'appeler !I was just about to call you!
Venir de and Être en train de
Two similar phrases complete the timeline. Venir de + infinitive means something has just happened. Être en train de + infinitive means it is happening right now.
| phrase | meaning | example |
|---|---|---|
| venir de + infinitive | has just happened | Je viens de manger. (I've just eaten.) |
| être en train de + infinitive | is happening now | Je suis en train de manger. (I'm eating right now.) |
| aller + infinitive | is about to happen | Je vais manger. (I'm going to eat.) |
- Je suis en train manger.Je suis en train de manger.
Practice
Je ___ partir dans cinq minutes.
Elle ___ partir demain.
Nous ___ voyager en été.
Which sentence is correct?
Which sentence is correct?
Il ___ partir quand le téléphone a sonné.
I've just eaten.
Which sentence describes an action happening right now?
Je viens manger means ___.
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