Talking about future plans in French : complete course

What Does ‘Talking About Future Plans’ Mean in French?

When we talk about parler de projets futurs, we mean expressing what you want to do, plan to do, or hope to happen in the future. In French, this is a very common part of everyday conversation. Whether you are making weekend plans or talking about your career goals, knowing how to express future ideas is essential.

Simple Examples to Get Started

Before we dive into the details, here are a few easy examples to show you what talking about future plans looks like in French:

• Je vais voyager en France. — I am going to travel to France.
• Elle veut apprendre le piano. — She wants to learn the piano.
• Nous allons manger au restaurant ce soir. — We are going to eat at a restaurant tonight.

Les Éléments de ‘Parler de Projets Futurs’

There are several key tools in French that help you talk about future plans. Let us look at the most important ones.

1. Using ‘aller’ + Infinitive (The Near Future)

The most common and easiest way to talk about future plans in French is to use the verb aller (to go) followed by an infinitive verb. This structure is called the futur proche (near future). It is very similar to saying ‘going to’ in English.

The formula is: subject + aller (conjugated) + infinitive verb

2. Using ‘Vouloir’ to Express Wishes and Desires

Another useful verb is vouloir (to want). It helps you talk about what you want to do in the future. Use it with an infinitive verb.

• Je veux visiter Paris. — I want to visit Paris.
• Il veut trouver un nouveau travail. — He wants to find a new job.
• Nous voulons apprendre le français. — We want to learn French.

3. Useful Time Expressions

Adding time expressions makes your sentences much clearer. Here are some common ones:

• demain — tomorrow
• ce soir — this evening
• la semaine prochaine — next week
• l’année prochaine — next year
• bientôt — soon
• dans deux jours — in two days

Example: Je vais commencer un cours de français la semaine prochaine. — I am going to start a French class next week.

Why Talking About Future Plans Matters

Being able to talk about the future is one of the most practical skills in any language. In French, it lets you connect with people in a meaningful way. You can make plans with friends, discuss your goals, or simply chat about what you are doing this weekend. At this stage of learning, the futur proche is your best friend — it is simple, flexible, and used all the time by native speakers. Mastering this structure gives you real confidence in daily conversations.

Comparaison avec d’autres langues

It is always helpful to compare French with languages you may already know. Here is a quick comparison of how English, French, and Spanish express future plans:

As you can see, French and Spanish are very similar here. If you speak Spanish, learning the French futur proche will feel very natural. English speakers will also find the logic easy to follow since ‘going to’ works in almost the same way.

Exemple complet

Here is a short dialogue between two friends talking about their weekend plans:

• Marie: Qu’est-ce que tu vas faire ce week-end ? — What are you going to do this weekend?
• Lucas: Je vais aller au cinéma samedi soir. Et toi ? — I am going to go to the cinema on Saturday evening. And you?
• Marie: Je veux visiter un musée dimanche. Je vais inviter mes amis aussi. — I want to visit a museum on Sunday. I am going to invite my friends too.
• Lucas: Super ! On va se retrouver lundi alors. — Great! We will meet up on Monday then.

Points à retenir

• Use aller + infinitive to talk about near future plans — it is the easiest and most common structure.
• Use vouloir + infinitive to express wishes and desires.
• Add time expressions like demain, ce soir, or la semaine prochaine to make your sentences clearer.
• This structure works the same way as ‘going to’ in English and ‘ir a’ in Spanish — so it feels familiar!
• Practice by talking about your own real plans — it makes learning much more fun and effective.

Sources

• Conseil de l’Europe. (2001). Cadre européen commun de référence pour les langues (CECRL). Strasbourg: Conseil de l’Europe. Disponible sur : coe.int
• Grégoire, M., & Thiévenaz, O. (2012). Grammaire progressive du français — Niveau débutant. Paris: CLE International.
• Bescherelle. (2019). La Conjugaison pour tous. Paris: Hatier.