Le Futur Proche in French

Le Future Proche in French is used as a part of future actions that is going to take place by a person, place or thing! In order to use the future proche, one must use the aller in the present tense plus an infinitive so that the sentence can be constructed! First, let's look at the congutated verb aller in the present tense below!


Aller- to go

Je vais - I go

Tu vas - You go

Il va - He goes

Elle va - She goes

Nous allons - We go

Vous allez - You go

Ils vont - They go

Elles vont - They go



Having spoken earlier, the way to use the future proche is to use the verb aller in the present tense + infinitive(the other verb)! Let's look at example I used with a group of persons!


Example I.

Nous allons manger au restuarant.

We are going to eat at the resturant.

Note in the French sentence:First, Nous is a group of persons! Second,(allons) is the conjugated present tense of the verb ( aller)! Third, the other verb (manger) is an infinitive!


Example II.

(La radio) va tomber de la table!

The radio is going to fall from the table!


Note in the French sentence: (La radio) is a thing! Second, (va ) is the conjugated present tense of the verb aller! Third,the other verb( tomber) is the infinitive!


Example III.

La ville de Paris va être très grande l'année prochaine!

The city of Paris is going to be very big next year!


Note in the french sentence: (La ville de Paris) is a place! (Va) is the conjugated present tense of the verb aller! Third, the other verb is (être) is an infinitive.


Example IV.

Je vais conduire au stade ce week-end.

I am going to drive at the stadium this weekend!


Note in the french sentence: First,(Je) is a person, we don't know if it's a he or she! Second, (vais) is the conjugated present tense of the verb aller ! Third, the other verb ( conduire) is the infinitive!

Jouer à vs. Jouer de

The verb Jouer is one of the common verbs in the french langauge. One can observe below the conjuatation of the verb Jouer.


Jouer- to play

Je joue - I play

tu joues - you play

Il joue - He plays

Elle joue - She plays

Nous jouons - We play

Vous jouez - You play

Ils jouent - They play

Elle jouent - They play


After looking and noticing the conjuatation of the verb jouer, there are two main prepositions used after the verb jouer. Those two prepositions are(à) and (de). There is a difference with using these two prepositions are the verb jouer. First, let's look at Jouer à.


1. Jouer à

This is always used in a sentence that deals or speaks about sports or games! Let's look at some examples below.

Example I.

Je joue au tennis le mardi! I play tennis on tuesday!

In this sentence, le tennis is the sport! In order to form au- one must use the formula(à+le)= au.


Example II.

Nous jouons aux cartes aujourd'hui! We are playing cards today!

From this sentence, les cartes(cards) is a game! In order to form aux, which is plural - one must use the formula (à +les)= aux.



2. Jouer de

This one is far different from Jouer à. When one uses Jouer de, it is used to only express playing a form of music and instruments.Let's look at some examples.


Example I.

Vous jouez du piano! You play the piano!


In this sentence, le piano is the instrument. To form (du)- one must use the formula (de+le)= du.


Example II.


Ils jouent de la musique classique. They are playing classical music.


From this sentence, (la musique classique) is playing a form of music. In this formula (de+la)=de la, which it stays the same and does not change.

Conjugating the verb falloir in the present tense

The French verb falloir is a very unique verb from all the other verbs in the French language. This verb is not conjugated just as other verbs. However,this verb does not have the pronouns( je, tu,nous, vous,elles,ils) in the sentence. The rule of this conjugation of this verb goes as it is seen below.


Falloir- to be necessary

Il faut- It is necesary





This verb only has the pronoun (Il)! This is what the rule of the french language of this verb requires from the language! Remember, it is important to use (Il) for the verb.

The difference between the savoir and connaître

These two verbs can be confusing for people who are learning the french language as a begginner or intermediate learner. However, there is a difference while using these two verbs. Even though the verb savoir and the verb connaître means (to know), it is very important when to use them while speaking to an fluent or advanced french speaker. Therefore, the objective is to clear out the confusion between these two verbs. Before explaining the difference between these two verbs,I want to present to you the conguatation of the present tense of both verbs.


Connaître- to know


Je connais - I know

Tu connais - You know

Il connaît - He knows

Elle connaît - She knows

Nous connaissons - We know

Vous connaissez - You know

Ils connaissent - They know

Elles connaissent - They know



Savoir - to know


Je sais - I know

Tu sais - You know

Il sait - He knows

Elle sait - She knows


Nous savons - We know

Vous savez - You know

Ils savent - They know

Elles savent - They know



First part will start with the French verb connaître! The verb conaitre does mean to know! Here are some things to be aware of this verb!


1. The verb connaître is always used with a person whom one is familiar with, or aquanticed with, or knows someone. Let's look at 3 examples in some sentence!


Example I.

Nous connaissons Michelle qui travaille au magasin.

Meaning in English:

We know Michelle who works at the store.

Note: In this sentence, it speaks of familarity of a person, and a group of people who knows or is famaliar with michelle! Remember,The french word (Nous) means (We) in the english langauge! Therefore,(Nous) repesents in the sentence more than one person who knows or is familiar with michelle. Let's observe the next example.


Example II.

Je connais Jacques

Meaning in English langauge

I know Jacques

Note: Even though this sentence deals with familiarity, The french word(Je) speaks of one person who knows or is familiar with Jacques! Remember, (Je) means (I) in the english! Let's observe the next example.

Example III.


Tu connais Danielle

Meaning in the english language

You know Danielle!?

Note: This third part also deals with familiarity, but this is asking someone a question if he or she knows or is familiar with that person(Danielle)! Remember, The french word (Tu) means (you) in the english language, but is singular! However, (Tu) is represented in sentence as a question asked directly towards one person!Overall, someone is asking a person(Tu) the question- does he or she know Danielle!? Let's look at another example.


Example IV.


Non,Je ne connais pas Michelle

Meaning in English:

I don't know Michelle

Note: This sentence is using the negation in the sentence! If a person approaches and says in French (Tu connais Michelle)! If one doesn't know michelle, he or she would refer back to that person (Non, Je ne connais pas Michelle). Still, one would still the negation (ne...pas) along with using the conguatation of the verb connaitre. Next, we are going to deal the second part of using the verb connaître.



2. The verb Connaître is always used for a place,city, or a country! Overall, it deals with a place,city or country that one is familiar with or knows!


Je connais bien Lyon

Meaning in English

I know Lyon very well.

or

I am familiar with Lyon.


Note: In French sentence talks about one person(he or she) who knows or is familiar with a city! However, Lyon is a city! Remember, (Je) means in english language(I)!


Example II:

Ils/Elles connaissent France


Meaning in English

They know France

or

They are familiar with France!



Note: In this sentence in French, it is a person or more speaking about a group of persons who knows or are familiar with France! Note that France is a country, which is spoken in the sentence! Remember, the french words( Ils/Elles) mean (They)in the English language!


Example III.

John connaît le théâtre!


Meaning in English:

John knows the theater


Note: In this sentence, there is one or more persons speaking about a male person(John) in the sentence whom one or more persons know or familiar with! However, the french word (théâtre) is a place!



After finishing with the verb connaître, it is time to talk and explain the verb savoir! There are some things that one must be aware of the French verb savoir!


1. The french verb savoir is followed by an infinitive,but the french verb connaitre is never used with an infinitive!Let's observe the first example

Example I.

Je ne sais pas jouer au tennis

Meaning in english:

I don't know how to play tennis


Note: english speakers are aware of (how) in the translation or meaning in english! The english word (how) would mean (comment) in french!Some english speakers would think that (comment) would go after pas and before the infinitive(verb) in this sentence, but it does not at all!Overall, never put (comment) in the middle of savoir+ infinitive. Some of you are probably not clear what is the infinitive. An infinitive means the subsutition of the (verb) follows after another verb. Let's look at an example.


Example II. Tu sais nager!

Meaning in English

You know how to swim

Note: sais is the conguated verb savoir in the sentence

jouer- is the infinitive in the sentence

Additional Note: Never use(comment) middle of savoir + infinitive

Now, dealing with the second part of the verb savoir

2. The verb savoir can be followed by conjuctions in the sentence. Below, here the conjuctions.

The conjuctions
1. ou - meaning in english- where
2. que - meaning in english- that
3. si - meaning in english - so or wheither
4. mais - meaning in english- but
5. pourquoi - meaning in english- why

Let's use an example with one of the conjuctions


Example I.

Je sais que tu vais au resterant

Meaning in english:

I know that you are going to the resterant!


Note: After the conjuating the verb (savoir), the conjuction always follows it in that sentence.

After observing the second part, now here is last part of the verb savoir!

3. The verb savoir also means to know facts,or information!Let's use an example.

Example I.

Nous savons les résultats

Meaning in English:

We know the results


Note: In this sentence, the french word (les résultats) speaks about facts or information! In this sentence(Nous) is a group of people who know the facts or information!

The conjugation of the verb Être and Avoir

The verb Être and Avoir are very common verbs that are in the french language! It is important to note that these verbs are very important in order to be used for the past tense. before learning the past tense, it is important to concentrate on practicing the verb Être and Avoir in the present tense because they have a very important role in the French Language. Moreover, I am going to conjugate both verbs in the present tense!



The verb Être means - to be- in the French language.
The conjugation of the present tense verb Être


Être- to be

Je suis - I am or I'm

tu es - You is

Il est - He is

Elle est - She is

Nous sommes - We are

Vous êtes - You are

Ils sont - They are

Elles sont - They are



The verb Avoir means - to have- in the French language.
The conjugation of the present tense verb Avoir


Avoir - to have

J'ai - I have

Tu as - You have

Il a - He has

Elle a - She has

Nous avons - We have

Vous avez - You have

Ils ont - They have

Elles ont - They have