Future simple French: endings, irregular stems, futur proche

Future simple French, the futur simple, is the French “will” tense, and it comes down to one set of endings. This page shows how to form it, which verbs change stem, and how it differs from the futur proche. For the other tenses around it, read French tenses, explained. For the method behind any verb, see How to conjugate French verbs. For the two verbs you will use most, see Aller conjugation and Être conjugation.

What is the future simple in French?

The futur simple is a tense that names actions or states to come, seen from the present [3]. It is often called just “the futur” [3]. It often comes with time markers such as demain, la semaine prochaine or dans un mois [3]. Example: Pierre prendra sa retraite dans deux ans. [3]

The OQLF adds that the futur simple belongs to the indicative, so it presents facts that are likely to happen, but with a share of hypothesis because they are a projection [3].

How do you form the futur simple in French?

Add the endings -rai, -ras, -ra, -rons, -rez and -ront to the verb’s stem [1]. For regular -er verbs the stem is the infinitive, so an e comes before the r: je te raccompagnerai [1]. For regular -ir verbs an i comes before it: vous finirez [1].

The endings and the e or i come from the OQLF rule [1]. The verbs parler and finir are shown by applying that rule. Most irregular verbs ending in -re keep the infinitive as the stem, without the extra e: ils éteindront, not “éteinderont” [1]. Listen to the stems you will meet next: être, avoir and faire.

What are the irregular stems in the futur simple?

Some verbs change their stem, but they take the same endings [1]. The OQLF lists these, with the je form [1].

The stem is the part to memorise; the endings do not change [1]. The verbs in this list are among the verbs you will read about in French irregular verbs.

What is the future tense of to be in French?

The future tense of to be in French uses the stem ser-: je serai, tu seras, il sera, nous serons, vous serez, ils seront [4]. The OQLF lists these in the futur simple column of its table for être [4]. Do not confuse them with the conditionnel, je serais, which the same page lists separately [4].

What spelling changes happen in the futur simple?

A few -er verbs change spelling before the endings [1].

• Verbs ending in -ecer, -emer, -ener, -eper, -eser, -erer, -ever and -evrer change the e of the last syllable to è: Anaya se lèvera très tôt [1].
• Some verbs in -eler and -eter also change to è (il n’achètera pas), while appeler, jeter and their derivatives double the consonant (nous vous appellerons). When you hesitate, the OQLF says to check a conjugation reference [1].
• Verbs in -oyer and -uyer, such as nettoyer, turn y into i: nous nettoierons [1].
• Verbs in -ayer, such as payer, allow both spellings: ils payeront or ils paieront [1].
• Verbs like crier and marier keep a written e that you do not pronounce: nous crierons, not “nous crirons” [1].

When do you use the futur simple?

Use it for what will happen, and for a few other jobs the OQLF lists [3]:

• General truths: Il y aura toujours des gens très riches et des gens très pauvres. [3]
• Softened suggestions and orders: Vous terminerez ce travail pour le prochain cours. [3]
• Probability about the present: Le téléphone sonne; ce sera sans doute ton père. [3]
• A result that depends on a condition: with si, the si clause takes the présent and the main clause takes the futur: Si tu acceptes, tu ne le regretteras pas. [3]

On that last point, the OQLF warns that the condition after si cannot be in the conditionnel or the futur; it can only be in the past or the présent [6]. One OQLF example also puts the verb after quand in the futur simple: J’aurai déjà mangé quand tu reviendras de ton cours de danse. [5]

What is the difference between the futur proche and the futur simple?

The futur proche is the verb aller in the présent followed by an infinitive, such as je vais partir or vous allez commencer [2]. In everyday language, especially spoken, it competes with the futur simple [2].

The difference is not how far away the event is. The OQLF says it lies in the link to the moment of speaking: the futur proche is anchored in the present and reads as more certain, while the futur simple is cut off from the present and carries more hypothesis [2].

When the action is right at the moment of speaking, only the futur proche works: Je vais faire une pause. À tout à l’heure!, not “Je ferai une pause” [2]. To see aller itself, read Aller conjugation.

Quick quiz: futur simple

Four questions, one at a time.

Common mistakes

• Building the stem from the infinitive of an irregular verb. The futur of aller is j’irai, not “j’allerai”, and the futur of être is je serai [1][4].
• Adding an extra e to -re verbs. The OQLF gives ils éteindront, not “éteinderont” [1].
• Putting the futur or the conditionnel after si. For a condition, use the présent: Si tu acceptes, tu ne le regretteras pas [3][6].
• Mixing up the futur simple and the conditionnel. They look alike, so watch the ending: je serai against je serais [4].
• Using the futur simple for something happening right now. For an action at the moment of speaking, use the futur proche [2].
• Trusting a grammar page without a date, including this one. Check the official page’s date against ours.

Sources