French for Elementary Learners: Talking About an Upcoming Trip to Japan
Learn to say where you are going next month, share a simple itinerary, and contrast a big trip with a weekend plan using the near future in French.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
In this lesson, you will learn how to talk about a bigger, longer trip that is coming up, not just a weekend plan. You will use the near future (le futur proche) with aller + infinitive to say what you are going to do. You will also learn how to share a simple itinerary with days and activities. The focus is on a trip to Japan next month, but the patterns work for any destination. Pay attention to gender and articles: le Japon, un voyage, une semaine. Pronunciation notes use a simplified guide for English speakers.
By the end, you can…
- say that I am going to a country next month using the near future.
- share a simple itinerary with days and activities.
- contrast a big trip with a weekend plan using time expressions and adjectives.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Je vais au Japon le mois prochain.
I'm going to Japan next month.
zhuh vay oh zhah-PON luh mwah pro-SHAN
Use au with masculine country names like le Japon. For feminine countries, use en: Je vais en France.
Je pars une semaine.
I'm leaving for a week.
zhuh par ewn suh-MEN
Use partir for departure. Une semaine means one week. For two weeks: deux semaines.
Voici mon itinéraire.
Here is my itinerary.
vwah-SEE mon ee-tee-nay-RAIR
Use voici to present something. Mon itinéraire is masculine, so use mon, not ma.
Lundi, je visite Tokyo. Mardi, je vais à Kyoto.
On Monday, I'm visiting Tokyo. On Tuesday, I'm going to Kyoto.
lun-DEE zhuh vee-ZEET toh-KYOH. mar-DEE zhuh vay ah kyoh-TOH
Days of the week are not capitalized in French. Use à for cities: à Kyoto. Use en for countries: en France.
C'est un grand voyage, pas un petit week-end.
It's a big trip, not a small weekend.
say tun gron vwah-YAZH, pah zun puh-TEE week-end
Grand means big or long in this context. Week-end is borrowed from English and often pronounced like English or as week-end in French.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The near future in French uses aller + infinitive. Conjugate aller for the subject, then add the infinitive. Je vais visiter. Tu vas partir. Il va voyager. Nous allons réserver. For a trip, you can say: Je vais au Japon. Je vais visiter Kyoto. Je vais partir une semaine. To ask about plans: Tu vas où ? Qu'est-ce que tu vas faire ? Note that au replaces à + le for masculine countries, and en is used for feminine countries. Examples: Je vais au Japon. Je vais en France. Je vais à Tokyo.
When to use it
Use the near future for plans that are decided and coming soon, like next month. It is common in conversation for trips and itineraries. Use time expressions like le mois prochain (next month), la semaine prochaine (next week), lundi (on Monday), and mardi (on Tuesday). To contrast a big trip with a weekend plan, use adjectives: un grand voyage, un long voyage, un petit week-end. Example: Je vais faire un grand voyage au Japon, pas juste un petit week-end à Lyon. For a weekend, you might say: Je vais passer le week-end à la campagne.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Tu vas où le mois prochain ?
Where are you going next month?tew vah oo luh mwah pro-SHANJe vais au Japon ! Je pars une semaine.
I'm going to Japan! I'm leaving for a week.zhuh vay oh zhah-PON. zhuh par ewn suh-MENSuper ! Tu vas visiter quelles villes ?
Great! Which cities are you going to visit?sew-PAIR. tew vah vee-zee-TAY kel veelLundi, je visite Tokyo. Mardi, je vais à Kyoto. C'est un grand voyage, pas un petit week-end.
On Monday, I'm visiting Tokyo. On Tuesday, I'm going to Kyoto. It's a big trip, not a small weekend.lun-DEE zhuh vee-ZEET toh-KYOH. mar-DEE zhuh vay ah kyoh-TOH. say tun gron vwah-YAZH, pah zun puh-TEE week-endA little context goes a long way
In French conversation, le mois prochain and la semaine prochaine are standard for upcoming plans. When talking about countries, use au for masculine names (le Japon, le Canada) and en for feminine names (la France, l'Italie). In Quebec and parts of Canada, week-end is common, but in Europe you may also hear fin de semaine for weekend. For a big trip, grand voyage is neutral and common. Avoid overusing je vais faire; je vais + infinitive is natural and frequent.
One thing to watch for
Je vais à le Japon.
Try this instead: Use au with masculine country names: Je vais au Japon. For feminine countries, use en: Je vais en France. For cities, use à: Je vais à Tokyo.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'I'm going to Japan next month' in French?
Show a sample answer
Je vais au Japon le mois prochain.
This uses aller + au for a masculine country and le mois prochain for next month. Japon is masculine, so au is required; en would be used only for a feminine country such as la France.
2Make a sentence: 'On Monday, I'm visiting Tokyo.'
Show a sample answer
Lundi, je visite Tokyo.
Days are not capitalized in French. The present tense can express a scheduled activity, so je visite is fine. You could also say Lundi, je vais visiter Tokyo.
3How do you contrast a big trip with a weekend plan?
Show a sample answer
C'est un grand voyage, pas un petit week-end.
This uses grand voyage for a big trip and petit week-end for a small weekend. You could also say C'est un long voyage, pas juste un week-end.
Use aller + infinitive for upcoming plans, au for masculine countries and en for feminine ones, and add time expressions like le mois prochain. Share your itinerary with days and activities, and contrast a grand voyage with a petit week-end.
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