FlexiLingoIn one line
Conjugate
aller, put the infinitive after it. That is the whole rule.
The forms on this page
| Form | Means | Sound |
|---|---|---|
aller | to go — but here it carries no meaning, it only builds the future | /a.le/ |
The table
| Pronunciation | ||
|---|---|---|
je vais + partir | I'm about to leave · I'm going to leave | /ʒə vɛ/ · /paʁ.tiʁ/ |
tu vas + partir | /ty va/ · /paʁ.tiʁ/ | |
il va + partir | /il va/ · /paʁ.tiʁ/ | |
nous allons + partir | /nu.z‿a.lɔ̃/ · /paʁ.tiʁ/ | |
vous allez + partir | /vu.z‿a.le/ · /paʁ.tiʁ/ | |
ils vont + partir | /il vɔ̃/ · /paʁ.tiʁ/ |
Only aller is conjugated. The infinitive never changes.
English already does this, with the same verb
"I'm going to leave" is aller + infinitive. The two languages built the near future out of the identical image — a verb of motion pointing at what has not happened yet:
| Pronunciation | ||
|---|---|---|
Je vais partir. | I'm going to leave | /ʒə vɛ paʁ.tiʁ/ |
Il va pleuvoir. | It's going to rain | /il va plø.vwaʁ/ |
One difference, and it is the one that trips people: English needs "to" before the verb — "going to leave". French does not. Je vais partir, never Je vais à partir
The same two-verb rule you already know
This is not a new pattern — it is the one vouloir and pouvoir use:
| Pronunciation | ||
|---|---|---|
je veux partir | I want to leave | /ʒə vø paʁ.tiʁ/ |
je peux partir | I can leave | /ʒə pø paʁ.tiʁ/ |
je vais partir | I'm going to leave | /ʒə vɛ paʁ.tiʁ/ |
Negative — ne … pas wraps aller
Je ne vais pas partir.
Exceptions
| Exception | What happens |
|---|---|
aller /a.le/ + aller /a.le/ is correct | Je vais aller au parc. /ʒə vɛ.z‿a.le o paʁk/ — it looks repetitive and it is right |
| An object pronoun goes before the infinitive | Je vais le voir. /ʒə vɛ lə vwaʁ/ not Je le vais voir /ʒə lə vɛ vwaʁ/ |
| In a reflexive verb the pronoun follows the subject | Je vais me laver. /ʒə vɛ mə la.ve/ Tu vas te laver. /ty va tə la.ve/ |
An adverb sits between aller /a.le/ and the infinitive | Je vais bientôt partir. /ʒə vɛ bjɛ̃.to paʁ.tiʁ/ |
Examples
| English | French | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| I'm going to leave | Je vais partir. | /ʒə vɛ paʁ.tiʁ/ |
| We're going to the park tomorrow | Nous allons aller au parc demain. | /nu.z‿a.lɔ̃.z‿a.le o paʁk də.mɛ̃/ |
| He's going to eat | Il va manger. | /il va mɑ̃.ʒe/ |
| I'm not going to leave | Je ne vais pas partir. | /ʒə nə vɛ pa paʁ.tiʁ/ |
| I'm going to see him | Je vais le voir. | /ʒə vɛ lə vwaʁ/ |
| It's going to rain | Il va pleuvoir. | /il va plø.vwaʁ/ |
Common mistakes
| ❌ | ✅ | Why |
|---|---|---|
Je vais pars. | Je vais partir. | The second verb stays an infinitive |
Je vais à partir. | Je vais partir. | English needs "to"; French joins the two verbs directly |
Je vais ne pas partir. | Je ne vais pas partir. | ne … pas wraps aller |
Je le vais voir. | Je vais le voir. | The pronoun goes before the infinitive |
Je vais te laver. (meaning "I'm going to wash") | Je vais me laver. | The pronoun follows the subject |
When to use it
in speech, almost always
| Example | Where | Pronunciation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| near future | Je vais manger. | speech — nearly everywhere | /ʒə vɛ mɑ̃.ʒe/ |
| simple future | Je mangerai. | writing · after quand · the distant future | /ʒə mɑ̃ʒ.ʁe/ |
In conversation the French say aller + infinitive almost every time. If you are starting out, learn this one and leave the simple future for later — it will carry any sentence you need about the future.
And a neat symmetry: just as aller + infinitive builds the future, venir de + infinitive builds the immediate past:
| Pronunciation | ||
|---|---|---|
Je vais partir. | I'm about to leave | /ʒə vɛ paʁ.tiʁ/ |
Je viens de partir. | I've just left | /ʒə vjɛ̃ də paʁ.tiʁ/ |
Going → forwards · coming → backwards.