When to use the near future — 'going to'
Use the near future to say what someone is going to do, especially for plans and intentions.
The near future (le futur proche — literally 'the near future') is the tense you reach for to say what someone is going to do. It matches the English phrase 'going to + verb' almost exactly:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je vais manger une pizza. | I am going to eat a pizza. |
| Nous allons regarder un film. | We are going to watch a film. |
| Ils vont jouer au foot. | They are going to play football. |
It is called the near future because it typically describes things happening soon or things you plan/intend to do — later today, tonight, this weekend, next week. In everyday spoken French it is actually the most common way to talk about the future, even for events that are not that close. For Cambridge IGCSE 0520 it is the future tense you should reach for first, because it is so easy to build and is always accepted.
A note on the other future. French also has a 'simple future' (je mangerai — I will eat) for more distant or formal predictions. You do not have to use it at Standard level — the near future will carry you through almost every Speaking and Writing task. Knowing one reliable future tense well is far better than using two badly.
Worked mini-example. You want to say "This evening I am going to do my homework." Pick the time phrase ce soir (this evening), the right form of aller for 'I' (je vais), and the infinitive faire (to do): Ce soir, je vais faire mes devoirs. (This evening I am going to do my homework.)
- The near future = 'going to + verb' in English.
- Use it for plans, intentions and things happening soon.
- It is the most common spoken future — always safe for 0520.
- You do not need the simple future (je mangerai) at Standard level.