going to

phrase

Etymology: From Middle English goyng to, first attested in 1483—some earlier attestations have been claimed, though these are disputed—and grammaticalized over the course of the Early Modern period. Possibly influenced by the comparable use of Middle French aller (“go”), which arose somewhat earlier and is preserved in modern French.

1. Expresses the prospective aspect relative to a given time frame: something that will happen, or is intended, at the time, to happen.

   “I'm going to throw out the milk if nobody’s going to drink it.”

   “I was going to cut the grass, but it started raining.”

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see be, going, to.

   “It's too late, I must be going to my grandma's.”