The Simple Future Tense in French

This section explains The Simple Future Tense in French. The simple future tense (le futur simple) is used in French to express actions that will take place in the future. It is used for predictions, plans, promises, and events that will happen. It often corresponds to the English future tense formed with "will".

How to Form the Simple Future Tense:

1. For regular verbs, the future tense is formed by taking the infinitive verb (the base form) and adding the future endings.
2. For irregular verbs, the future stems are irregular, but the endings are the same.

Future Endings:

Steps to Form the Simple Future Tense:

1. Start with the infinitive form of the verb (for regular verbs).
2. Add the appropriate future tense ending to the infinitive verb.
   • For -er verbs (e.g., parler – to speak), the infinitive is used as the stem.
   • For -ir verbs (e.g., finir – to finish), the infinitive is used as the stem.
   • For -re verbs (e.g., vendre – to sell), remove the final e from the infinitive before adding the future endings.

Examples of Regular Verbs in the Simple Future:

1. Parler (to speak) – Regular -er verb:
   • 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 will speak)
   • Ils/Elles parleront (They will speak)
2. Finir (to finish) – Regular -ir verb:
   • Je finirai (I will finish)
   • Tu finiras (You will finish)
   • Il/Elle/On finira (He/She/One will finish)
   • Nous finirons (We will finish)
   • Vous finirez (You will finish)
   • Ils/Elles finiront (They will finish)
3. Vendre (to sell) – Regular -re verb:
   • Je vendrai (I will sell)
   • Tu vendras (You will sell)
   • Il/Elle/On vendra (He/She/One will sell)
   • Nous vendrons (We will sell)
   • Vous vendrez (You will sell)
   • Ils/Elles vendront (They will sell)

Irregular Verbs in the Simple Future:

Some verbs have irregular stems in the future tense but use the same future endings.

Here are a few common irregular stems:

1. Être (to be)
   • Je serai (I will be)
   • Tu seras (You will be)
   • Il/Elle/On sera (He/She/One will be)
   • Nous serons (We will be)
   • Vous serez (You will be)
   • Ils/Elles seront (They will be)
2. Avoir (to have)
   • J'aurai (I will have)
   • Tu auras (You will have)
   • Il/Elle/On aura (He/She/One will have)
   • Nous aurons (We will have)
   • Vous aurez (You will have)
   • Ils/Elles auront (They will have)
3. Faire (to do/make)
   • Je ferai (I will do/make)
   • Tu feras (You will do/make)
   • Il/Elle/On fera (He/She/One will do/make)
   • Nous ferons (We will do/make)
   • Vous ferez (You will do/make)
   • Ils/Elles feront (They will do/make)
4. Aller (to go)
   • J'irai (I will go)
   • Tu iras (You will go)
   • Il/Elle/On ira (He/She/One will go)
   • Nous irons (We will go)
   • Vous irez (You will go)
   • Ils/Elles iront (They will go)
5. Venir (to come)
   • Je viendrai (I will come)
   • Tu viendras (You will come)
   • Il/Elle/On viendra (He/She/One will come)
   • Nous viendrons (We will come)
   • Vous viendrez (You will come)
   • Ils/Elles viendront (They will come)

Time Expressions with the Simple Future:

The simple future tense is often used with time expressions to refer to future actions.

• Demain (tomorrow)
  Example: Demain, je travaillerai. (Tomorrow, I will work.)
• La semaine prochaine (next week)
  Example: La semaine prochaine, nous irons en vacances. (Next week, we will go on holiday.)
• Dans un an (in a year)
  Example: Dans un an, il terminera ses études. (In a year, he will finish his studies.)
• Ce soir (this evening)
  Example: Ce soir, je regarderai un film. (This evening, I will watch a film.)
• Plus tard (later)
  Example: Plus tard, nous mangerons au restaurant. (Later, we will eat at the restaurant.)

Foundation Tier Examples:

1. Demain, je prendrai le train.
   (Tomorrow, I will take the train.)
2. Tu iras au parc avec tes amis.
   (You will go to the park with your friends.)
3. Nous ferons du shopping samedi.
   (We will go shopping on Saturday.)
4. Elle mangera une pizza ce soir.
   (She will eat a pizza this evening.)

Higher Tier Examples:

1. L'année prochaine, je voyagerai à travers l'Europe.
   (Next year, I will travel across Europe.)
2. Quand j'aurai 18 ans, je passerai mon permis de conduire.
   (When I turn 18, I will take my driving test.)
3. Nous organiserons une fête pour son anniversaire.
   (We will organise a party for his birthday.)
4. Ils feront tout leur possible pour réussir.
   (They will do everything possible to succeed.)

Negative Form:

To form the negative in the simple future tense, use ne before the conjugated verb and pas after it.

Examples:

• Je ne vendrai pas ma voiture.
  (I will not sell my car.)
• Nous ne partirons pas en vacances cette année.
  (We will not go on holiday this year.)

Questions in the Simple Future:

To form questions in the simple future tense, you can use est-ce que or invert the subject and verb.

Examples:

• Est-ce que tu viendras à la fête ?
  (Will you come to the party?)
• Irez-vous à la plage cet été ?
  (Will you go to the beach this summer?)

Key Takeaways:

• The simple future tense is used to talk about actions that will happen in the future.
• For regular verbs, use the infinitive verb + future endings. For -re verbs, remove the final e before adding the endings.
• Some common verbs have irregular stems but the same future tense endings.
• The simple future tense can be used with time expressions like demain (tomorrow) and la semaine prochaine (next week).
• The negative form is made with ne...pas, and questions are formed with est-ce que or inversion.