Bonjour !
In our last lesson, we learned how to talk about the near future using the futur proche (aller + infinitive). This is perfect for everyday conversation about what you are "going to do." Today, we'll learn about the second future tense: the futur simple.
Your learning outcome for this lesson is to form the futur simple for regular verbs. This tense is the French equivalent of using "will" in English (e.g., "I will speak," "You will finish"). It's often used for more distant future events, promises, or in more formal contexts like professional writing, which will be very useful for your goals.
1. The Building Blocks: A Stem and Endings
Unlike the futur proche, which combines two verbs, the futur simple is a single, conjugated verb. The good news is that it has a very predictable structure for all verbs, both regular and irregular:
Future Stem + Future Ending
Let's start with the endings, because they are the same for every single verb in the futur simple.
The Endings: A Simple Trick to Remember
The endings for the futur simple are:
| Subject | Ending |
|---|---|
| je | -ai |
| tu | -as |
| il/elle/on | -a |
| nous | -ons |
| vous | -ez |
| ils/elles | -ont |
These might look familiar. There's a fantastic memory trick to learn them, as they are almost identical to the present tense conjugation of the verb avoir (to have).
How to Form the Future Tense in French! Top tips for the Futur Simple
Let's watch this short clip from 'Learn French With Alexa'. Alexa shares a 'top tip' that connects the 'futur simple' endings directly to the verb 'avoir'. This will make them much easier to remember.
Watch from 03:13 to 05:17. Focus on how the present tense forms of 'avoir' (j'ai, tu as, il a...) match the 'futur simple' endings.
By remembering j'ai, tu as, il a, nous avons, vous avez, ils ont, you already know the future endings! Just be careful with nous and vous, where the endings are -ons and -ez (from avons and avez).
2. Forming the Stem for Regular Verbs
Now that you have the endings, you just need the stem. For regular verbs, the rule is very straightforward.
Verbs ending in -er and -ir
For regular verbs ending in -er (like parler - to speak) and -ir (like finir - to finish), the rule is as simple as it gets:
The stem is the entire infinitive form of the verb.
Let's see this in action.
The FUTUR SIMPLE = will in English // French conjugation course // Lesson 31
In this video, 'The perfect French with Dylane' clearly explains how to combine the infinitive stem with the endings for -er and -ir verbs.
Watch from 01:25 to 04:34. Notice how she takes the full verb ('ranger') and simply adds the future endings you just learned.
So, to conjugate parler (to speak) in the futur simple:
- I will speak: je +
parler+ai= Je parlerai - He will speak: il +
parler+a= Il parlera - We will speak: nous +
parler+ons= Nous parlerons
And for choisir (to choose):
- You will choose: tu +
choisir+as= Tu choisiras - They will choose: ils +
choisir+ont= Ils choisiront
Verbs ending in -re
Verbs ending in -re (like vendre - to sell, or attendre - to wait) have a very small change to the rule:
The stem is the infinitive with the final -e removed.
For example, with the verb vendre:
- Start with the infinitive: vendre
- Remove the final
-e: vendr- - Add the future endings: *je vendrai, tu vendras, il vendra...
Let's quickly confirm this with a resource.
The future tenses: How to form and use them in French?
The article 'The future tenses' from Mango Languages explains this rule very clearly.
Find the subheading '-re verbs' and read that short section. It uses 'mettre' and 'prendre' as examples.
3. Putting It All Together
This table provides a perfect visual summary of the rules for all three regular verb groups.
Now, let's put your knowledge to the test.
Test your understanding!
Conjugate the following verbs in the futur simple for the given subject.
- Nous (travailler) __________ demain. (We will work tomorrow.)
- Tu (finir) __________ tes devoirs. (You will finish your homework.)
- Elle (attendre) __________ le bus. (She will wait for the bus.)
- Je (manger) __________ plus tard. (I will eat later.)
Show answer
- Nous travaillerons demain. (Stem:
travailler+ ending:-ons) - Tu finiras tes devoirs. (Stem:
finir+ ending:-as) - Elle attendra le bus. (Stem:
attendr(from attendre) + ending:-a) - Je mangerai plus tard. (Stem:
manger+ ending:-ai)
Conclusion
Félicitations ! You can now form the futur simple for any regular French verb. This is a crucial skill for expressing future plans with more nuance, especially in formal and professional situations.
Key Takeaways:
- The futur simple is formed with one of two stems plus a standard set of endings: -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont.
- For -er and -ir verbs, the stem is the infinitive.
- For -re verbs, the stem is the infinitive minus the final 'e'.
Next Lesson Preview:
While these rules cover a huge number of verbs, many of the most essential verbs in French (être, avoir, aller, faire) are irregular. In the next lesson, we will learn the irregular stems for these common verbs. The great news is that even though their stems are irregular, they still use the exact same endings you mastered today! À bientôt !