Periphrastic Tenses in French

Quick Answer

French uses certain multi-word verb expressions that function like tenses, even though they aren't traditional conjugated forms. These are called temps périphrastiques(periphrastic tenses). The two most common ones in French are the futur proche(near future) and the passé récent(recent past). Both use a semi-auxiliary verb followed by an infinitive.

examples
Je vais manger. I'm going to eat.
Elle vient de partir. She just left.

examples

Je vais manger.

I'm going to eat.

Elle vient de partir.

She just left.

In this article, you'll learn what periphrastic tenses are and how they differ from regular tenses. We'll walk you through how to use the futur proche to talk about what's going to happen and the passé récent to talk about what just happened. C'est parti !(Let's go!)

Questions This Article Answers

What are periphrastic tenses in French?

How do you form and use the futur proche in French?

How do you form and use the passé récent in French?

Why use a periphrastic tense instead of a regular one?

What Are Periphrastic Tenses?

Periphrastic tenses are multi-word constructions that serve the function of a verb tense without using traditional conjugations. In French, they typically involve a conjugated semi-auxiliary verb followed by an infinitive. While they aren't "true" tenses from a grammatical point of view, they act like tenses in how they express time and aspect.

The two most commonly used periphrastic tenses in French are:

the futur proche(near future) → aller+ infinitive
the passé récent(recent past) → venir+ de+ infinitive

Let's see in more detail how they are formed and when to use them!

The Futur Proche

The futur proche(near future) is used to talk about something that's going to happen. It's often used in conversation and is more immediate than the futur simple(simple future). It's usually translated using the near future in English (e.g., I'm going to do something.)

How to Form the Futur Proche

The futur proche is formed with the present tense of aller(to go), followed by a verb in its infinitive form.

Conjugation of the Verb Manger in the Futur Proche

Subject	Example	English
je	je vais manger	I'm going to eat
tu	tu vas manger	you're going to eat
il, elle, on	il va manger	he's going to eat
nous	nous allons manger	we're going to eat
vous	vous allez manger	you're going to eat
ils, elles	ils vont manger	they're going to eat

When to Use the Futur Proche

You can use the futur proche to do the following:

talk about something that is going to happen
make plans or predictions that feel immediate or certain
express an action that is already in motion or inevitable

The Futur Proche: Immediacy and Certainty

The futur proche is often mischaracterized as a periphrastic tense that is used only to talk about things that are going to happen soon. However, immediacy is only one reason you can use the futur proche! You can also use it to talk about things that won't happen soon, but that will definitely happen or that are inevitable, as in On va tous mourir un jour.(We're all going to die some day.) And look at that—you even get a taste of French existentialism.

examples
Je vais expliquer à Jean comment ça marche. I'm going to explain to Jean how this works.
Vous allez adorer ce restaurant. You're going to love this restaurant.
Ils vont arriver dans cinq minutes. They're going to arrive in five minutes.

Futur Proche vs. Futur Simple

Both the future proche and the future simple usually refer to the future. Here's how they differ:

The futur proche is used for near or concrete, certain future plans. It often translates as to be going to in English.

The futur simple is used for the general or distant future. It often translates as will in English.

The Passé Récent

The passé récent(recent past) is used to talk about something that just happened. Like the futur proche, it relies on a semi-auxiliary verb. It's usually translated as the adverb just and the preterit form of the verb in American English (e.g., I just did something.)

How to Form the Passé Récent

The passé récent is formed with the present tense of venir(to come), followed by de(from), followed by a verb in its infinitive form.

Conjugation of the Verb Manger in the Passé Récent

Subject	Example	English
je	je viens de manger	I just ate
tu	tu viens de manger	you just ate
il, elle, on	il vient de manger	he just ate
nous	nous venons de manger	we just ate
vous	vous venez de manger	you just ate
ils, elles	ils viennent de manger	they just ate

The Passé Récent Uses the Present Tense in French

Although the past tense is used in English (e.g., I just ate), French uses the present tense of the verb venir (e.g., je viens de manger)!

When to Use the Passé Récent

You can use the passé récent to do the following:

express that something just happened
emphasize how recent an action is
describe something that occurred a few seconds, minutes, or hours ago

examples
Je viens de parler à ta sœur. I just spoke to your sister.
Il vient de rentrer du travail. He just got back from work.
On vient de commander une pizza. We just ordered pizza.

What About the Passé Composé?

The passé composé(compound past) is the go-to tense for past actions that are perceived as completed, but the passé récent highlights how immediate the past action is.

Dialogue Example

Here's a short dialogue between two coworkers that includes both the futur proche and the passé récent:

Céline:

Tu as déjà déjeuné ?

Did you already have lunch?

Amélie:

Oui, je viens de manger un sandwich.

Yes, I just ate a sandwich.

Céline:

Super ! Moi, je vais acheter quelque chose à la boulangerie.

Great! I'm going to get something from the bakery.

Amélie:

Bonne idée. Tu vas prendre quoi ?

Good idea. What are you going to get?

Céline:

Je ne sais pas encore. Je vais voir ce qu'il y a.

I don't know yet. I'm going to see what they have.

Need Some Practice?

Try conjugating verbs in the temps périphrastiques with our Conjugation Drill! With a little practice, the futur proche and passé récent will become a natural part of your conversations in French.