Introduction to the Future Tense
The future tense in French, called le futur simple, is used to describe actions that will happen later. It corresponds to the English "will" or "shall" + verb.
It is one of the essential tenses for expressing plans, predictions, promises, or intentions.
Demain, je partirai à huit heures.
Deh-mahn, zhuh par-tee-ray ah weet uhr.
Tomorrow, I will leave at eight o'clock.
Formation of the Future Tense
The future tense is formed by adding specific endings to the verb's infinitive form for most verbs. These endings are the same for all verbs regardless of their group.
The endings are:
| Subject | Ending |
|---|---|
| je (I) | -ai |
| tu (you singular) | -as |
| il/elle/on (he/she/one) | -a |
| nous (we) | -ons |
| vous (you plural/formal) | -ez |
| ils/elles (they) | -ont |
For regular verbs, simply add these endings to the infinitive form.
Regular Verb Conjugation
Regular verbs in French follow predictable patterns in the future tense based on their infinitive endings: -er, -ir, and -re.
-er and -ir verbs: Use the entire infinitive + future endings.
Parler (to speak)
Par-lay
To speak
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| je | parlerai |
| tu | parleras |
| il/elle/on | parlera |
| nous | parlerons |
| vous | parlerez |
| ils/elles | parleront |
-re verbs: Remove the final "e" from the infinitive before adding the endings.
Vendre (to sell)
Vahn-druh
To sell
Example conjugation: je vendrai (I will sell)
Irregular Verbs in the Future Tense
Some common French verbs have irregular stems for the future tense, but they still use the same future endings.
| Verb | Future Stem | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| être | ser- | to be |
| avoir | aur- | to have |
| aller | ir- | to go |
| faire | fer- | to do/make |
| venir | viendr- | to come |
| voir | verr- | to see |
Nous serons heureux demain.
Noo suh-rohn uh-ruh duh-manh.
We will be happy tomorrow.
Elle ira à Paris la semaine prochaine.
El ee-rah ah pah-ree lah suh-men proh-shen.
She will go to Paris next week.
Usage and Common Expressions
The future tense is often used with time expressions such as demain (tomorrow), la semaine prochaine (next week), and bientôt (soon).
It can also express hypotheses or polite requests.
Je te téléphonerai ce soir.
Zhuh tuh tay-lay-foh-nray suh swahr.
I will call you tonight.
Serez-vous disponible demain?
Suh-ray voo dis-poh-nee-bluh duh-manh?
Will you be available tomorrow?
Negation in the Future Tense
To make a sentence negative in the future tense, use ne ... pas around the conjugated verb.
Je ne partirai pas tard.
Zhuh nuh par-tee-ray pah tard.
I will not leave late.
Note that in spoken French, the ne is often dropped, but in writing it should be included.
Practice Examples
Try to identify the future tense conjugations and translate these sentences:
Tu finiras ton travail demain.
Too fee-nee-rah ton tra-vah-y duh-manh.
You will finish your work tomorrow.
Ils auront une réunion importante.
Eelz oh-ront oon ray-oo-nyon am-por-tahnt.
They will have an important meeting.
Nous ne vendrons pas la maison cette année.
Noo nuh von-dron pah lah may-zon set ah-nay.
We will not sell the house this year.
Tips for Remembering Rules
- Remember that the future endings are the same for all verbs, which makes conjugation easier once you know the stem.
- For -re verbs, always drop the final "e" before adding the endings.
- Memorize the irregular stems for the most common verbs; these are used consistently in the future tense.
- Practice by pairing future tense verbs with time expressions like demain or bientôt to reinforce meaning.
- Use flashcards to match verbs to their irregular stems to build automatic recall.