Future Tense (Simple Future) - French Grammar

Future Tense (Futur Simple)

The French futur simple (often called the "simple future" in English) expresses actions that will happen in the future. It corresponds to English "will + verb" (I will speak) and is used for predictions, promises, plans, scheduled events, and sometimes polite instructions or warnings.

What is the futur simple and when do I use it?

Main uses

Predictions and statements about the future

Il fera beau demain. — It will be nice tomorrow.
Tu seras heureux dans ta nouvelle maison. — You will be happy in your new house.

Promises, offers and firm decisions made now
- Je t'aiderai après le travail. — I will help you after work. (promise)
- Nous le ferons. — We will do it. (decision)

Scheduled events or announcements (formal or neutral tone)
- La réunion commencera à neuf heures. — The meeting will start at nine o'clock.

Instructions, warnings or commands in a formal register
- Vous signerez les documents avant de partir. — You will sign the documents before leaving. (formal order/warning)

With time words and subordinates referring to the future
- Quand tu arriveras, je t'appellerai. — When you arrive, I will call you.
Note: In French, time clauses introduced by quand, lorsque, dès que, aussitôt que use the future in both clauses when both refer to the future.

How do I form the futur simple? (regular verbs)

Future endings (same for all verbs)

The endings you add are the same for every verb: -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont. They match the present tense endings of "avoir" (ai, as, a, avons/avez/ont) when used as endings.

Subject + stem + ending

Regular -ER verbs (keep the whole infinitive as the stem)
Example: parler (to speak)
- je parlerai — I will speak
- tu parleras — you will speak
- il/elle/on parlera — he/she/one will speak
- nous parlerons — we will speak
- vous parlerez — you (pl./formal) will speak
- ils/elles parleront — they will speak

Regular -IR verbs (keep the whole infinitive as the stem)
Example: finir (to finish)
- je finirai — I will finish
- tu finiras — you will finish
- il finira — he will finish
- nous finirons — we will finish
- vous finirez — you will finish
- ils finiront — they will finish

Regular -RE verbs (drop the final -e from the infinitive before adding endings)
Example: vendre (to sell)
- je vendrai — I will sell
- tu vendras — you will sell
- il vendra — he will sell
- nous vendrons — we will sell
- vous vendrez — you will sell
- ils vendront — they will sell

Irregular stems and spelling changes

What is an irregular stem?

Some verbs do not use the plain infinitive as the stem. Instead they have an irregular future stem; you add the same endings (-ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont) to that irregular stem.

Common irregular stems (core list with examples)
- être -> ser- : je serai (I will be)
- avoir -> aur- : j'aurai (I will have)
- aller -> ir- : j'irai (I will go)
- faire -> fer- : je ferai (I will do/make)
- pouvoir -> pourr- : je pourrai (I will be able to)
- vouloir -> voudr- : je voudrai (I will want)
- savoir -> saur- : je saurai (I will know)
- devoir -> devr- : je devrai (I will have to)
- venir -> viendr- : je viendrai (I will come)
- tenir -> tiendr- : je tiendrai (I will hold / keep)
- voir -> verr- : je verrai (I will see)
- recevoir -> recevr- : je recevrai (I will receive)
- envoyer -> enverr- : j'enverrai (I will send)
- mourir -> mourr- : je mourrai (the plant will die -> La plante mourra)
- courir -> courr- : je courrai (I will run)
- valoir -> vaudr- : il vaudra (it will be worth)
- falloir -> faudr- : il faudra (it will be necessary) — impersonal only (il)
- pleuvoir -> pleuvr- : il pleuvra (it will rain) — impersonal only (il)
- obtenir -> obtiendr- : j'obtiendrai (I will obtain)
- apercevoir -> apercevr- : j'apercevrai (I will notice/see)

Spelling-change verbs (to keep pronunciation)
- appeler -> j'appellerai (double l to keep pronunciation)
- jeter -> je jetterai (double t)
- acheter -> j'achèterai (accent change)
- payer -> je paierai or je payerai (both forms exist)
Note: Some verbs change spelling or accents in the future to preserve sound. Memorize common ones or check a dictionary.

Negation, questions and pronouns

Negation

Standard negation wraps the conjugated verb with ne...pas (or other negation words):

Je ne parlerai pas demain. — I will not speak tomorrow.
Elle n'ira pas au cinéma. — She will not go to the cinema.

Note: In casual spoken French, the "ne" is often dropped: "Je parlerai pas".

Asking questions

You can form questions in three main ways:

Intonation (spoken): Tu viendras demain ? — Will you come tomorrow?
Est-ce que: Est-ce que tu viendras demain ? — Will you come tomorrow?
Inversion: Viendras-tu demain ? — Will you come tomorrow?

Object pronouns and reflexive verbs

Pronouns go before the future verb (same order as in present):

Je te le dirai demain. — I will tell you it tomorrow.
Nous vous verrons lundi. — We will see you on Monday.

Reflexive verbs: the reflexive pronoun stays before the verb:
- Je me lèverai tôt. — I will get up early.
- Nous nous reposerons après le voyage. — We will rest after the trip.

Futur simple vs futur proche (near future) — what's the difference?

Futur proche = aller + infinitive

Structure: Present tense of aller + infinitive. Example: Je vais partir. — I am going to leave.
Use: immediate or planned near future, intentions, or events about to happen.

Example: Je vais manger maintenant. — I'm going to eat now.

Futur simple = stem + endings

Use: predictions, promises, formal statements, distant future, or written style.

Example: J'irai en France l'été prochain. — I will go to France next summer.

Nuance: Both forms can overlap. "Je vais le faire" feels more immediate or conversational; "Je le ferai" feels more formal, definite, or a promise.

Common mistakes and pitfalls to avoid

1) Using the future after "si" (if-clause) — wrong in French

Wrong: Si j'aurai le temps, je viendrai. X Correct: Si j'ai le temps, je viendrai. ✓ Rule: After "si" you usually use the present tense for a real future condition; the main clause uses the future.

2) Time clauses with quand/ lorsque / dès que / aussitôt que

English: "When I arrive, I'll call you" uses present in the subordinate clause. French: "Quand j'arriverai, je t'appellerai." — Use the future in both clauses if both refer to the future.

3) Confusing the future simple with the conditional

Conditional (je voudrais) uses the same irregular stems but different endings (ais, ais, ait, ions, iez, aient).
Example comparison: Je voudrais un café. — I would like a coffee. (polite request)

Je voudrai un café. — I will want a coffee. (statement about future desire; sounds odd)

4) Forgetting to drop the -e for -RE verbs

Wrong: Je vendera. X Correct: Je vendrai. ✓ (Remember: vendre -> vendr- + ai = vendrai.)

Useful time expressions commonly used with futur simple

- demain — tomorrow
- bientôt — soon
- la semaine prochaine — next week
- dans deux jours — in two days
- l'année prochaine — next year
- plus tard — later
- quand / lorsque / dès que / aussitôt que — when / as soon as
- à l'avenir — in the future

Short glossary of terms used here

- Infinitive: the base form of the verb (parler, finir, vendre).
- Stem: the part of the verb to which you add endings (for regular -er/-ir it's the infinitive; for many -re you drop the final -e; for irregular verbs the stem changes: avoir -> aur-).
- Ending: the final letters you add (-ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont).
- Pronominal (reflexive) verb: a verb with a reflexive pronoun (se laver -> je me laverai).
- Futur proche: near future formed with aller + infinitive.
- Futur antérieur: future perfect (used to show an action that will have been completed before another future action).

Many examples: conjugation patterns and sentences

Regular verbs: full conjugations

parler (to speak):

je parlerai — I will speak
tu parleras — you will speak
il/elle parlera — he/she will speak
nous parlerons — we will speak
vous parlerez — you (pl./formal) will speak
ils/elles parleront — they will speak

finir (to finish):
- je finirai — I will finish
- tu finiras — you will finish
- il finira — he will finish
- nous finirons — we will finish
- vous finirez — you will finish
- ils finiront — they will finish

vendre (to sell):
- je vendrai — I will sell
- tu vendras — you will sell
- il vendra — he will sell
- nous vendrons — we will sell
- vous vendrez — you will sell
- ils vendront — they will sell

Irregular verbs: sample conjugations

être (to be):

je serai, tu seras, il/elle sera, nous serons, vous serez, ils/elles seront

Examples:

Je serai en vacances en août. — I will be on vacation in August.
Nous serons prêts à partir. — We will be ready to leave.

avoir (to have):
- j'aurai, tu auras, il aura, nous aurons, vous aurez, ils auront
Examples:
- J'aurai fini le projet vendredi. — I will have finished the project on Friday.

aller (to go):
- j'irai, tu iras, il ira, nous irons, vous irez, ils iront
Example:
- Ils iront à l'université l'année prochaine. — They will go to university next year.

venir (to come):
- je viendrai, tu viendras, il viendra, nous viendrons, vous viendrez, ils viendront
Example:
- Viendras-tu à la fête ? — Will you come to the party?

voir (to see):
- je verrai, tu verras, il verra, nous verrons, vous verrez, ils verront
Example:
- Je verrai ce film demain soir. — I will see that movie tomorrow night.

Final tips and summary

- Form the future by finding the correct stem (infinitive for -er/-ir, infinitive minus final -e for -re; irregular verbs have special stems) and adding the endings -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont.
- Use futur simple for predictions, promises, schedules, and formal instructions often introduced by time words (demain, bientôt, la semaine prochaine, quand, dès que).
- After "si," use the present in the if-clause, not the future.
- After "quand/lorsque/dès que/aussitôt que," when both clauses refer to the future, French uses the future in both clauses (different from English).
- Watch out for irregular stems (être -> ser-, avoir -> aur-, aller -> ir-, faire -> fer-, venir -> viendr-, etc.) and for small spelling changes to keep pronunciation.

Model sentences (quick reference)

Demain, je partirai à huit heures. — Tomorrow I will leave at eight o'clock.
Si tu veux, je t'aiderai. — If you want, I will help you.
Quand il aura fini, il te téléphonera. — When he has finished, he will phone you.
Nous irons en Italie l'année prochaine. — We will go to Italy next year.
Il faudra apporter une pièce d'identité. — It will be necessary to bring ID.

This guide gives you the essentials for understanding and using the French futur simple. For accuracy, practice conjugating common irregular verbs and pay attention to time phrases and clause connectors (si, quand, dès que). Good luck!