prochaine

Prochaine is the feminine singular form of the French adjective prochain, meaning next or upcoming. It agrees with feminine singular nouns and is used to indicate the item or occurrence that follows in a sequence or is about to occur.

In everyday usage, prochaine typically appears after the noun it modifies, as in la semaine prochaine (the coming week) or la prochaine étape (the next step). It can also describe time-related or event-related upcoming moments, such as la prochaine fois (the next time). The expression à la prochaine is a common informal farewell equivalent to see you next time.

Etymology and related forms: prochain derives from Latin proximus, meaning nearest or closest, and has cognate forms in many Romance languages. The feminine form is proposée as prochaine, while masculine and plural forms are prochain and prochains/prochaines, respectively. A closely related adverb is prochainement, meaning soon or in the near future.

Usage notes: Prochaine is used to signal imminence or sequence in feminine contexts. It does not function as a stand-alone noun; rather, it modifies a noun. In English translations, it generally corresponds to “next” or “upcoming.” Phrases involving prochaine are common in schedules, announcements, and planning documents, as well as in everyday conversation.

See also: prochain, prochainement, prochaine fois.