[Originally posted on 12/22/18 on the Duolingo French for English speakers forum by Sitesurf]
So far, you have learned how to express present events using the present tense. You have also just learned about the infinitive form of a verb. We can combine these verb forms to help ease you into building more French verb tenses.
There are two special tenses in French used to indicate an action that happens very close to present time: the near future and the near past (also called “recent past”). They are formed by conjugating aller and venir in the present tense and adding an infinitive. You will learn them both in this “Near Time” unit.
Near Future (le futur proche)
The near future tense is used for things that are going to happen very soon or in the near future. It is similar in meaning and construction with the English “to be going to” + infinitive.
To form the futur proche, conjugate the semi-auxiliary verb aller (“to go”) in the present tense and add the infinitive form of your active verb.
As a reminder, here is the present tense conjugation of aller
| Subject | Verb |
|---|---|
| je | vais |
| tu | vas |
| il/elle/on | va |
| nous | allons |
| vous | allez |
| ils/elles | vont |
Here are some examples of the near future tense.
- Je vais lire un livre. — I am going to read a book.
- Il va le faire. — He is going to do it.
- Nous allons vendre les chaussures. — We are going to sell the shoes.
- Où allez-vous dormir ? — Where are you going to sleep?
Near Past or Recent Past (le passé récent)
The recent past tense is used to describe things that have just happened.
To form the recent past, conjugate the verb venir (“to come”) in the present tense, add the preposition de, and add the infinitive.
As a reminder, here is the present tense conjugation of venir
| Subject | Verb |
|---|---|
| je | viens |
| tu | viens |
| il/elle/on | vient |
| nous | venons |
| vous | venez |
| ils/elles | viennent |
Here are some examples of the recent past tense.
- Je viens de manger. — I have just eaten.
- Vous venez de parler avec elle. — You just spoke with her.
- Elle vient d’écrire une lettre. — She has just written a letter.
- Mes parents viennent d’appeler. — My parents just called.
Note that the required preposition de must elide (contract) with the infinitive when the infinitive starts with a vowel or a mute H.
In these tenses, there is no movement meant by aller or venir. They work as auxiliary verbs.
Also note that the French recent past does not distinguish between the English simple past and the English present perfect. For example, “tu viens de manger” can be translated as either “you just ate” or “you have just eaten”.
As you continue to see more verb forms in later units, you will be able to conjugate aller and venir into other tenses and moods. If they are used in the “near time” construction, you can then express more special situations, events, and conditions.
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