Two futures, two jobs
French has two main ways to talk about what comes next. The futur proche (aller + infinitive) is the everyday spoken future: Je vais appeler le médecin, I am going to call the doctor. The futur simple is a one-word tense used for promises, predictions, formal plans and writing: Je parlerai avec elle demain, I will speak with her tomorrow.
In conversation, the futur proche dominates, especially for anything already decided or about to happen. The futur simple adds distance, formality or solemnity.
Futur proche: aller + infinitive
Conjugate aller in the present, then attach the infinitive unchanged: je vais, tu vas, il va, nous allons, vous allez, ils vont, plus the verb. To negate, wrap ne ... pas around aller: Je ne vais pas venir.
| Je vais appeler le médecin. | I am going to call the doctor. |
| Nous allons visiter Bordeaux ce week-end. | We are going to visit Bordeaux this weekend. |
| Il va pleuvoir. | It is going to rain. perfect for things visibly about to happen |
| Tu vas adorer ce restaurant. | You are going to love this restaurant. |
Futur simple: one word, six endings
Take the infinitive and add the endings -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont: je parlerai, tu parleras, il parlera, nous parlerons, vous parlerez, ils parleront. Verbs in -re drop the final e first: prendre gives je prendrai.
The endings come from the present of avoir, which makes them easy to retain: ai, as, a, ons, ez, ont.
| Je parlerai avec elle demain. | I will speak with her tomorrow. |
| Nous prendrons une décision la semaine prochaine. | We will make a decision next week. prendre drops its e: prendr- + ons |
The irregular stems
About a dozen frequent verbs swap in a special stem. The endings never change.
| Verb | Future stem | Je form |
|---|---|---|
| être | ser- | je serai |
| avoir | aur- | j'aurai |
| aller | ir- | j'irai |
| faire | fer- | je ferai |
| venir | viendr- | je viendrai |
| voir | verr- | je verrai |
| pouvoir | pourr- | je pourrai |
| devoir | devr- | je devrai |
| vouloir | voudr- | je voudrai |
| Ils seront là à huit heures. | They will be there at eight. |
| Vous aurez les résultats vendredi. | You will have the results on Friday. |
Future after quand
English says: when you arrive, call me. French logic is stricter: if the arrival is in the future, the verb after quand goes in the future too. Quand tu arriveras, appelle-moi. The same applies after dès que (as soon as) and lorsque.
| Quand tu arriveras, envoie-moi un message. | When you arrive, send me a message. future after quand where English uses the present |
| Dès qu'il finira, nous partirons. | As soon as he finishes, we will leave. |
If both halves of the sentence point to the future, put both verbs in the future. Translating the English present after when is one of the most common intermediate mistakes.
Choosing between the two futures
- Decided plan, near event, spoken French: futur proche. On va manger ensemble ce soir.
- Promise or commitment: futur simple. Je t'appellerai, c'est promis.
- Prediction, forecast, written French: futur simple. Il fera beau demain.
- After quand, dès que, lorsque with future meaning: futur simple.
Pronunciation corner
| je vais | /ʒə vɛ/ | zhuh VEH; the -ais rhymes with the e in bed |
| parlerai | /paʁləʁe/ | par-luh-RAY; the final -ai sounds like ay |
| serai | /səʁe/ | suh-RAY, two light syllables |
| seront | /səʁɔ̃/ | suh-ROHN, nasal ending; the t is silent |
| irai | /iʁe/ | ee-RAY; the future of aller keeps only the i |
Practice drill
Fill each blank. Items marked (futur simple) need the one-word future; the others use the futur proche or the form indicated.
Nous ___ (aller) voir un film ce soir.Show answer
allons
Je ___ (finir, futur simple) le projet vendredi.Show answer
finirai
Elle va ___ (partir) demain matin.Show answer
partirthe infinitive never changes after aller
Ils ___ (être, futur simple) contents.Show answer
seront
Tu ___ (avoir, futur simple) le temps ?Show answer
auras
Vous ___ (faire, futur simple) quoi cet été ?Show answer
ferez
On ___ (aller) manger ?Show answer
va
Quand il ___ (arriver, futur simple), nous commencerons.Show answer
arriverafuture after quand
Frequently asked questions
Which future do French speakers actually use in conversation?
Mostly the futur proche. Anything planned, decided or close in time comes out as aller + infinitive. The futur simple appears in speech for promises and predictions, and everywhere in writing.
What happens to -re verbs in the futur simple?
They drop the final e before adding the endings: prendre gives je prendrai, attendre gives j'attendrai. The endings themselves are identical for every verb in the language.
Why does French use the future after quand?
French keeps the tenses logical: if the action after quand has not happened yet, the verb is in the future. Quand j'arriverai, je t'appellerai. English hides this by using the present, so translate the meaning and the timing, never the English form.
Is je vais aller correct?
Yes, it is grammatical and you will hear it: Je vais aller à la banque. Many speakers prefer the shorter j'irai. Both are fine; j'y vais covers the immediate case of leaving right now.