Le futur simple: the future tense in French

What is the futur simple?

Le futur simple corresponds to the will-future tense in English. We mostly use this tense to talk about future plans or intentions, as well as to make predictions about what may occur in the future. We conjugate the future tense by adding the endings -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez and -ont to the infinitive of the verb.

Learn everything you need to know about the futur simple in French grammar with Lingolia’s quick and easy examples, then put your knowledge to the test in the exercises.

Contents

  • Demain, je rangerai les dossiers.
  • Tu ne finiras jamais en une journée.
  • Est-ce que tu pourras m’aider? Si on range à deux, on finira plus vite.

When to use the futur simple in French

We use the futur simple in the following cases:

  • to talk about future intentions
    Example:
    Demain je rangerai les dossiers.Tomorrow I’ll sort the files.
  • to make suppositions or predictions about the future
    Example:
    Tu ne finiras jamais en une journée.You’ll never finish that in one day.
  • in conditional sentences (if sentences)
    Example:
    Si on range à deux, on finira plus vite.If we tidy up together, we’ll be done faster.

Futur simple vs. futur proche

The futur simple and the futur proche are used in different contexts, sometimes comparable to the English will vs. going to:

Use the futur simple:

  • to express events in the more distant future (signal words: dans une semaine, l’année prochaine …)
    Example:
    J’habiterai encore à Paris dans deux ans.In two years I will still be living in Paris.
  • in sentences that contain a subordinate clause introduced by quand, lorsque or dès que.
    Example:
    Nous sortirons quand la pluie s’arrêtera.We’ll go out when the rain stops.
  • in writing

Use the futur proche:

  • for the immediate future (signal words: dans une minute, dans une heure, ce soir …)
    Example:
    Je vais dîner avec Jacques et Estelle ce soir.I’m going to have dinner with Jacques and Estelle tonight.
  • in spoken French

How to conjugate the futur simple in French

To conjugate the futur simple, we take the infinitive of the verb and add the following endings (for -re verbs, we remove the final e):

Person -er verbs -ir verbs -re verbs
1st person singular (I) j’aimerai je finirai je vendrai
2nd person singular (you) tu aimeras tu finiras tu vendras
3rd person singular (he/she/it) il/elle/on aimera il/elle/on finira il/elle/on vendra
1st person plural (we) nous aimerons nous finirons nous vendrons
2nd person plural (you) vous aimerez vous finirez vous vendrez
3rd person plural (they) ils/elles aimeront ils/elles finiront ils/elles vendront

The verbs avoir and être are irregular in the futur simple.

Person avoir être
1st person singular (I) j’aurai je serai
2nd person singular (you) tu auras tu seras
3rd person singular (he/she/it) il/elle/on aura il/elle/on sera
1st person plural (we) nous aurons nous serons
2nd person plural (you) vous aurez vous serez
3rd person plural (they) ils/elles auront ils/elles seront

To see the conjugation of any French verb in the futur simple, go to our verb conjugator.

Exceptions

  • Add a grave accent to a short e in the stem of the verb.
    Examples:
    peserto weigh – je pèserai
    modelerto model – je modèlerai
  • Many verbs ending in -eler/-eter double the final consonants.
    Example:
    jeterto throw – je jetterai
  • Some verbs lose the i of the ending -rir before adding the future ending.
    Examples:
    courirto run – je courrai
    mourirto die – je mourrai
  • For verbs ending in -yer, the y becomes an i in the futur simple. For verbs ending in -ayer, both y and i are permitted. (Note: the following verbs don’t follow this pattern: envoyer → j’enverrai and renvoyer → je renverrai).
    Examples:
    employerto employ – j’emploierai, tu emploieras, il emploiera, nous emploierons, vous emploierez, ils emploieront
    payerto pay – je payerai/paierai
  • Verbs ending in -oir are irregular in the futur simple, as are aller, envoyer, faire and venir. Check their conjugation in the list of irregular verbs.
    Example:
    pouvoirto be able to – je pourrai, tu pourras, il pourra, nous pourrons, vous pourrez, ils pourront