11.1. Mes projets d’avenir

Talking About Future Plans

11.1.1. The Main Idea

To talk about future plans in French, you can use aller + infinitive. This is called the futur proche, or near future.

Je vais voyager.	I am going to travel.
Je vais étudier demain.	I am going to study tomorrow.
Nous allons visiter Paris.	We are going to visit Paris.
Ils vont partir bientôt.	They are going to leave soon.

The pattern is:

aller + infinitive	to be going to do something
Je vais + infinitive	I am going to ___

11.1.2. Aller Review

je vais	I go / I am going
tu vas	you go / you are going, informal
il va	he goes / he is going
elle va	she goes / she is going
nous allons	we go / we are going
vous allez	you go / you are going, formal or plural
ils vont	they go / they are going
elles vont	they go / they are going

11.1.3. Talking About Plans

Je vais étudier.	I am going to study.
Je vais travailler.	I am going to work.
Je vais voyager.	I am going to travel.
Je vais sortir avec des amis.	I am going to go out with friends.
Je vais rendre visite à ma famille.	I am going to visit my family.
Je vais chercher un appartement.	I am going to look for an apartment.
Je vais prendre le bus.	I am going to take the bus.
Je vais aller au centre-ville.	I am going to go downtown.

11.1.4. Asking About Future Plans

Tu vas faire quoi demain ?	What are you going to do tomorrow?
Tu vas faire quoi ce week-end ?	What are you going to do this weekend?
Tu vas où ce soir ?	Where are you going tonight?
Tu vas voyager bientôt ?	Are you going to travel soon?
Quels sont tes projets ?	What are your plans?
Quels sont tes projets d’avenir ?	What are your future plans?

11.1.5. Time Expressions for the Future

demain	tomorrow
demain matin	tomorrow morning
demain soir	tomorrow evening / night
ce soir	this evening / tonight
ce week-end	this weekend
la semaine prochaine	next week
le mois prochain	next month
l’année prochaine	next year
bientôt	soon
plus tard	later
dans deux jours	in two days
dans une semaine	in a week
un jour	one day / someday

11.1.6. Bigger Future Plans

Un jour, je vais habiter en France.	One day, I am going to live in France.
Plus tard, je vais travailler dans une grande ville.	Later, I am going to work in a big city.
L’année prochaine, je vais étudier à l’université.	Next year, I am going to study at university.
Après mes études, je vais chercher un travail.	After my studies, I am going to look for a job.
Dans le futur, je vais parler français couramment.	In the future, I am going to speak French fluently.

11.1.7. Negative Future Plans

Place ne… pas around aller.

Je vais sortir.	I am going to go out.
Je ne vais pas sortir.	I am not going to go out.
Tu vas voyager.	You are going to travel.
Tu ne vas pas voyager.	You are not going to travel.
Nous allons déménager.	We are going to move.
Nous n’allons pas déménager.	We are not going to move.

11.1.8. With Pronouns

With two-verb structures, pronouns go before the infinitive.

Je vais y aller.	I am going to go there.
Je vais le faire.	I am going to do it.
Je vais lui parler.	I am going to speak to him / her.
Je vais leur écrire.	I am going to write to them.
Je ne vais pas y aller.	I am not going to go there.
Je ne vais pas le faire.	I am not going to do it.

11.1.9. Core Patterns

aller + infinitive	to be going to ___
Je vais ___ .	I am going to ___.
Tu vas faire quoi ?	What are you going to do?
Quels sont tes projets ?	What are your plans?
demain / bientôt / plus tard	tomorrow / soon / later
ne + aller + pas + infinitive	not going to ___
aller + pronoun + infinitive	Je vais y aller.

11.1.10. Practice

I am going to study tomorrow. |

I am going to travel next year. |

What are you going to do this weekend? |

What are your future plans? |

One day, I am going to live in France. |

I am not going to go out tonight. |

We are going to visit Paris. |

I am going to do it. |

11.1.11. Answers

I am going to study tomorrow.	Je vais étudier demain.
I am going to travel next year.	Je vais voyager l’année prochaine.
What are you going to do this weekend?	Tu vas faire quoi ce week-end ?
What are your future plans?	Quels sont tes projets d’avenir ?
One day, I am going to live in France.	Un jour, je vais habiter en France.
I am not going to go out tonight.	Je ne vais pas sortir ce soir.
We are going to visit Paris.	Nous allons visiter Paris.
I am going to do it.	Je vais le faire.

11.1.12. Short Dialogue

A : Tu vas faire quoi ce week-end ?	A: What are you going to do this weekend?
B : Je vais étudier et je vais sortir avec des amis. Et toi ?	B: I am going to study and go out with friends. And you?
A : Je vais chercher un appartement.	A: I am going to look for an apartment.
B : Très bien. Et tes projets d’avenir ?	B: Very good. And your future plans?
A : Un jour, je vais habiter en France.	A: One day, I am going to live in France.

11.1.13. Checkpoint

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to talk about future plans with aller + infinitive, ask what someone is going to do, use future time expressions such as demain, bientôt, la semaine prochaine, and un jour, and form negative future plans with ne… pas.