prochaines

Prochaines is the feminine plural form of the French adjective prochain, meaning “next” or “upcoming.” It agrees with feminine plural nouns and is typically placed before the noun it modifies. The full set of forms is: prochain (masculin singulier), prochaine (féminin singulier), prochains (masculin pluriel), et prochaines (féminin pluriel).

Usage and examples: prochaines is used to refer to items occurring in the near future. Common expressions include les prochaines étapes (the next/upcoming steps), les prochaines élections (the next elections), les prochaines semaines (the coming weeks), and les prochaines années (the coming years). In time phrases, French often uses la semaine prochaine rather than la prochaine semaine. In elliptical or list contexts, prochaines may stand in for a feminine plural noun that is understood from context, e.g., les prochaines (à venir) when the noun is implied.

Etymology and related forms: the word derives from Latin proximus through Old French prochain. It sits in a family with related forms such as prochain, prochaine, et prochains, and with the adverb prochainement meaning “soon” or “in the near future.”

Notes: like other French adjectives, prochain/e must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes. Prochaines can also appear in titles or headlines to denote upcoming items without repeating the noun, though standard prose usually specifies the noun.

Voir aussi: prochain, prochaine, prochainement, à venir.