There are four ways of expressing the future tense in French:
le futur simple(the simple future): the equivalent of “will + verb” and formed with a new set of conjugation endings,
le futur proche(the near future): the equivalent of “to be going to” and formed with the verb aller(to go) + infinitive,
le futur immédiat(the immediate future): the equivalent of “to be about to” and formed with an expression using the verb être(to be), and
le présent: the regular present tense!
It is a lot to choose from, isn’t it?
In this post, we will examine how to form the four future tenses and what the differences between them are. And there is some good news! If you master the simple future in French, you’ll be one step away from conjugating the French conditional present.
Curious to know more? Read on!
Vous verrez, ce n’est pas sorcier !
You’ll see, it’s not rocket science!
lit. (lit.) You’ll see, it is no sorcery!
Before we start, let’s break down a couple of misconceptions about the simple future and near future in French:
“The simple future is used to talk about events which will happen a long time from now, and the near future is used to talk about immediate actions.” ← THIS IS NOT ALWAYS TRUE!
“The simple future is formal and used for writing, and the near future is for speaking.” ← THIS IS NOT ALWAYS TRUE!
“The simple future is always used to translate ‘will.’” ← THIS IS NOT TRUE!
The simple future in French is the equivalent of the future tense with “will” in English, but it is also used in situations where English would use the present tense. To form the simple future, you will need to learn a new set of conjugation endings, but don’t worry: there aren’t too many irregular verbs! Let’s first take a look at how to conjugate the simple future, and then we can review when it’s best to use it.
To form the simple future of most verbs in French, you can add the endings below to the future of the verb:
Subject pronoun | Simple future ending |
|---|---|
je | -ai |
tu | -as |
il, elle, on | -a |
nous | -ons |
vous | -ez |
ils, elles | -ant |
→ Do these endings remind you of anything? They are almost like the auxiliary avoir in the present tense!
Watch out for this common writing mistake!
The ending for je is -ai, not -ais, which is the ending for the conditional present. Although the pronunciation is the same, the difference matters in writing!
❌ Je t’aiderais.
I would help you.
✅ Je t’aiderai.
I will help you.
Now let’s look at some examples of forming the simple future.
-er and -ir verbs
For -er and -ir verbs, simply add the endings above to the form of the verb.
Let's take finir(to finish) and commencer(to start) :
Je finirai mon livre et j’en commencerai un autre immédiatement !
I’ll finish my book and I’ll start a new one right away!
Verbs whose stem changes in the present tense will preserve this spelling change in the future tense, as well. The change occurs for all forms, even nous(we) and vous(you).
acheter(to buy)
j’achète → j’achèterai
I buy → I will buy
nous achetons → nous achèterons
we buy → we will buy
appeler(to start)
j’appelle → j’appellerai
I call → I will call
nous appelons → nous appellerons
we call → we will call
For a handful of verbs ending in -illir, the final i of the -ir will turn into an e.
Let's take accueillir(to welcome) which is by far the most useful one!
Nous vous accueillerons à bras ouverts.
We will welcome you with open arms.
The other -illir verbs are: cueillir(to pick), recueillir(to gather/collect), tressaillir(to quiver), and défaillir(to become faint).
Watch out for this common French pronunciation mistake!
In the the je(I) form of the simple future, you must hear the sound “R.” Sometimes, if the verb ends in -rer, you’ll need to hear it twice!
For the sentence:
Je suis sûre que j’adorerai !
I’m positive I’ll love it!
Don’t pronounce it ❌/jadoray/, which would sound like the imperfect form of the verb: j’adorais(I used to love)
Pronounce it, ✅ /jadoreuhray/ instead!
-re verbs
For -re verbs, remove the final -e and then add the simple future endings.
Let's take mettre(to put) and prendre(to take) as examples:
On mettra de l’essence avant de partir. Et on prendra des snacks pour la route.
We’ll fill the tank before going. And we’ll buy some snacks for the trip.
Now let’s take a look at some of the trickier cases: the irregular verbs!
There are several verbs in French that have an irregular stem in the simple future. However, they’ll still take the same endings as regular verbs.
Here are five of the most common verbs that have an irregular simple future stem:
Infinitive | Simple Future Stem |
|---|---|
être to be | ser- |
avoir to have | aur- |
aller to go | ir- |
faire to do | fer- |
pouvoir to be able to | pourr- |
Have a look at our French future tense irregular verbs chart to see more verbs with irregular simple future stems!
What about the negation?
With the simple future, ne goes before the verb and pas after.
Il ne fera pas beau la semaine prochaine.
The weather won’t be nice next week.
In a negative sentence, go right after pas, unless they express doubt and probability.
Elles ne rouleront pas vite.
They won't ride fast.
go right before the verb.
Je n'en mangerai peut-être pas cette fois.
This time I maybe won’t eat any.
In French, the main situations where you’ll use the simple future are: for projections, for promises, for commands, for hypotheses about the future, in proverbs, and after certain conjunctions of time. Let’s take a look at each.
For projections
The simple future is used to describe future plans, dreams, expectations. These events may or may not happen.
Un jour, j’irai sur la lune !
One day, I’ll go to the moon!
Je pense qu’ils viendront en voiture.
I think they’ll come by car.
Watch out for this common mistake!
Using espérer(to hope) with the future rather than the !
When people learn the French subjunctive, they tend to use it most with espérer. But always remember these three rules:
espérer in a positive present tense sentence → use with the indicative
espérer in a negative present tense sentence → use with the subjunctive
espérer in the → use with subjunctive
So, if you want to say “I hope that she will agree,” (a positive statement about the present) you’ll use the future indicative for “agree” not the subjunctive:
✅ J’espère qu’elle sera d’accord.
I hope she'll agree.
❌ J’espère qu’elle soit d’accord.
For promises
The simple future is used to make promises.
Je t’aimerai toujours.
I will always love you.
For commands
The simple future is sometimes used to give orders. In English, you usually use the imperative.
Vous rangerez votre chambre.
Make sure you tidy your bedroom.
For hypotheses about the future
The simple future is used when you want to say something will occur in the future under a certain current condition. It works exactly like in English. For more information on hypotheses and si clauses in French, check out our other post!
Si tu viens, je ferai des crêpes.
If you come, I’ll make pancakes.
In proverbs
The simple future tense can also be used for quotes, idioms, and general truths.
Qui vivra verra.
Time will tell.
lit. lit. Who will live, will see.
“Le futur sera meilleur demain.”
“The future will be better tomorrow.”
-Dan Quayle
After conjunctions of time
When a French sentence about the future uses a , all clauses will still be in the simple future.
Dès qu’on arrivera, on ira à la plage.
As soon as we arrive, we’ll go to the beach.
lit. lit. As soon as we will arrive, we will go to the beach.
This last use is often tricky for English speakers learning to speak in French, because in English you use the present tense in this situation!
Watch out for this common mistake with quand(when)
If you’re discussing a future plan, use future tense after quand(when):
✅ Quand je serai grand, je voyagerai dans le monde.
When I grow up, I’ll travel the world.
lit. lit. When I will grow up, I will travel the world.
❌ Quand je suis grand, je voyagerai dans le monde.
lit. lit. When I grow up, I will travel the world.
Let’s now have a look at the near future and see how it differs.
The near future in French, composed of the verb aller(to go) + infinitive, is the equivalent of the English future tense with “to be going to.” This tense has various purposes, and it conveys different meanings when compared to the simple future. Let’s start with how to form it.
To form the near future in French, all you need to do is conjugate the verb aller(to go) in the present tense and then add an infinitive.
aller
(present tense)
infinitive
Je vais faire la vaisselle.
I’m going to wash up.
With a pronominal verb, the reflexive pronoun goes right before the infinitive verb.
Je vais me coucher.
I’m going to go to bed.
Here is a recap of the present tense conjugation for the verb aller, to help you out!
je vais | I go |
tu vas | you go |
il / elle / on va | he / she / one goes |
nous allons | we go |
vous allons | you go |
ils / elles vont | they go |
The French direct and indirect pronouns, the pronoun y, and the pronoun en go straight before the infinitive.
Ils vont y voyager.
They’re going to travel there.
Elle ne va pas en revenir !
She’s not going to believe it!
Watch out for these common mistake with il y a(there is)
❌ Il y va avoir un spectacle.
✅ Il va y avoir un spectacle.
There’s going to be a show.
❌ Il va y être du monde.
✅ Il va y avoir du monde.
It’s going to be packed.
In the near future, French adverbs in affirmative sentences can go either before or after the infinitive.
Short adverbs and adverbs of quality and quantity go before the infinitive.
Ils vont vite oublier.
They’re going to forget quickly.
Elle va bien dormir.
She’s going to sleep well.
Most adverbs ending in -ment and adverbs of time and place go after the infinitive.
Je vais conduire prudemment.
I’m going to drive safely.
Il va manger dehors et il va rentrer tard.
He’s going to eat out and come back late.
In the near future, the negation goes around aller: so the verb aller is preceded by ne and followed by pas (or by an alternative negative expression like jamais(never), plus(no longer), or rien(nothing)).
Il ne va pas y croire !
He’s not going to believe it!
Elle ne va rien manger.
She is not going to eat anything.
The negation words personne(no one) and nulle part(nowhere) go after the infinitive, as opposed to after the conjugated version of aller.
Vous n'allez inviter personne.
I’m not going to invite anyone.
On ne va aller nulle part.
We’re not going to go anywhere.
Adverbs in negative near future sentences go after pas:
Ils ne vont pas beaucoup dormir.
They are not going to sleep much.
Adverbs expressing probability and doubt go before pas!
On ne va peut-être pas gagner.
We may not win.
Other adverbs include: certainement(certainly), probablement(probably), sûrement(surely), sans doute(without a doubt).
The near future is used to talk about future actions related to the present or future plans that have some level of certainty. We’ll look at each:
In relation to the present
The near future is used when an action is done as a result of a current situation. See it as a logical consequence.
J’ai faim, je vais manger.
I’m hungry, I’m going to eat.
Plans and certainty
The near future is used for plans prepared for a near and not so near future. Events can happen within a few years! The reason it is preferred to the simple future is that it is 100 percent certain to happen!
Elle va avoir un enfant.
She’s going to have a baby. (she is pregnant now)
≠
Elle aura un enfant.
She’ll have a baby. (one day)
Do you feel like you can now differentiate futur simple and futur proche? Check these French futur simple vs. futur proche activities to test your skills! Or read further to learn about two more tenses used to talk about the future!
The immediate future être sur le point de(to be about to) is used to talk about something which is going to happen in a few minutes. It is a way to insist on the imminence of an action. The expression being quite long, so the near future is sometimes preferred, followed by an indication of time like là, tout de suite(right now), or dans deux minutes(in two minutes).
Je suis sur le point de partir.
I’m about to leave.
OR
Je vais partir tout de suite.
I’m going to leave right now.
The present tense is very commonly used when speaking to make an event sound more concrete and certain to happen. Its meaning is similar to the near future but it’s more economical – you save a couple of syllables! So, when speaking, most native French speakers use the present tense to express the near future, since it is shorter.
It is often used with an expression of time like demain(tomorrow), l’année prochaine(next year), or bientôt(soon). This use of the present tense can be translated with “will” or with “be + ing” in English.
Demain, je vais au cinéma avec Axelle.
Tomorrow, I’m going to the cinema with Axelle.
Je reviens.
I’ll be back.
This is it! You can now read the key facts about the future tenses — and head to our second set of French future tense activities to practice. C’est en forgeant que l’on devient forgeron !(Practice makes perfect!)
When using the French future tense, remember what we learned in this post:
Simple future = for projections, promises, commands. Events may or may not happen.
Simple future: infinitive + endings -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont
For -re verbs, remove the final e.
Remember irregular verbs: être → ser-(to be), avoir → aur- (to have), faire → fer-(to do), aller → ir(to go), pouvoir → pourr-(to be able to).
Near future = for events which will happen for sure and result from a current situation. Events can happen in a few hours or even a few years time.
Near future: aller(to go ) + infinitive
Pronouns and short adverbs go between aller and the infinitive. Other adverbs go after the infinitive.
The negation goes around aller.
Immediate future (être sur le point de(to be about to)) = for events which will happen within a few minutes. Sense of immediacy.
Present tense = to make future plans sound more certain. Very common when speaking.
