Three Step French - Learn #14 - Making and Discussing Plans in French - Grammar
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Let's look at the sentence pattern. This pattern is the structure that all of our examples will follow. Subject + allé + infinitive phrase Subject + is going to + infinitive phrase This structure is used to talk about something you're going to do in the near future.

You start with the subject of the sentence. Next is the verb "aller" meaning "to go", conjugated in the present tense to match the subject. Then comes an infinitive verb. This is the action the subject is going to do. The infinitive stays in its base form like "boire" meaning "to drink".

So the structure "Je vais boire" means "I'm going to drink" with "vais" being the present tense of "aller" and "boire" as the action. Let's see how a line from the dialogue follows this pattern. Ce soir, je vais boire un verre avec mes amis à la comtesse. "Tonight, I'm going to have a drink with my friends at la comtesse." In this sentence,

"Ce soir" means "tonight", giving us the time this is happening but it's not part of the pattern. "Je" is the subject, meaning "I". "Vais" is the present tense form of "alli", matching the subject "je" and means "I'm going". "Boire" is the infinitive verb meaning "to drink". Together, "Je vais boire" means "I'm going to drink".

The rest of the sentence gives more details about what the speaker is going to do. Un verre means "a drink", avec mes amis means "with my friend". Et à la comtesse tells us the location, at la comtesse.

So, ce soir, je vais boire un verre avec mes amis à la comtesse. means "Tonight, I'm going to have a drink with my friends at la comtesse." Now, you can use this structure to talk about your plans in French. In France, socializing over drinks is an important part of daily life, especially during l'apéro.

which is short for "apéritif", meaning "a pre-dinner drink". In the early evening, friends or family often gather at a café, bar or someone's home to enjoy light alcoholic beverages like wine, pastis, an anise-flavored spirit popular in the South, or kia, which is white wine mixed with blackcurrant liquor.

"These drinks are usually served with small snacks, such as olives, nuts or a slice of saucisson" meaning "dry-cured sausage". L'apéro isn't just about the food and drink, it's a cherished moment of connection and relaxation that sets the tone for the evening meal. Now let's look at some speaking examples.

Je vais étudier à la bibliothèque. "I'm going to study at the library." Can you see how the pattern applies here? Let's break it down. Here, "je" is the subject meaning "hi". "Vais" is the present tense form of the verb "aller" which means "to go" and it's conjugated to match the subject "je". Then we have "étudier".

which is the infinitive verb meaning "to study". This is the action that the subject is going to do. The rest of the sentence "à la bibliothèque" means "at the library" and tells us where the action will happen. So that is how "Je vais étudier à la bibliothèque" fits the pattern "subjects +

"aller" + infinitive phrase. It means "I'm going to study at the library." Here's another example. Je vais voir un film au cinéma. "I'm going to see a movie at the cinema." Je vais voir un film au cinéma. "I'm going to see a movie at the cinema." Let's try one more.

Je vais faire un gâteau pour la fête. "I'm going to bake a cake for the party." Je vais jouer au football au parc.

"I'm going to play football at the park." One last example : Je vais regarder un film à la maison. "I'm going to watch a movie at home."