Future Tense Verbs

The future tense in French is used to talk about actions that will happen in the future. It is a simple tense that is easy to form. In this guide, we will cover the basic future verb forms to help you plan ahead and discuss future situations.

Regular Verbs

Regular verbs in the future tense are formed by adding specific endings to the infinitive form of the verb. The endings vary depending on the verb group (-er, -ir, or -re). Here is an overview of the future endings for regular verbs:

• -er Verbs:

  • Je/j' + ai
  • Tu + as
  • Il/elle/on + a
  • Nous + ons
  • Vous + ez
  • Ils/elles + ont

• -ir Verbs:

  • Je/j' + ai
  • Tu + as
  • Il/elle/on + a
  • Nous + ons
  • Vous + ez
  • Ils/elles + ont

• -re Verbs:

  • Je/j' + ai
  • Tu + as
  • Il/elle/on + a
  • Nous + ons
  • Vous + ez
  • Ils/elles + ont

Irregular Verbs

Some verbs do not follow the regular pattern in the future tense. Here are some common irregular verbs and their future forms:

• Aller (to go):

  • Je + vais
  • Tu + vas
  • Il/elle/on + va
  • Nous + allons
  • Vous + allez
  • Ils/elles + vont

• Avoir (to have):

  • J' + aurai
  • Tu + auras
  • Il/elle/on + aura
  • Nous + aurons
  • Vous + aurez
  • Ils/elles + auront

• Être (to be):

  • Je + serai
  • Tu + seras
  • Il/elle/on + sera
  • Nous + serons
  • Vous + serez
  • Ils/elles + seront

• Faire (to do/make):

  • Je + ferai
  • Tu + feras
  • Il/elle/on + fera
  • Nous + ferons
  • Vous + ferez
  • Ils/elles + feront

• Pouvoir (to be able to):

  • Je + pourrai
  • Tu + pourras
  • Il/elle/on + pourra
  • Nous + pourrons
  • Vous + pourrez
  • Ils/elles + pourront

• Voir (to see):

  • Je + verrai
  • Tu + verras
  • Il/elle/on + verra
  • Nous + verrons
  • Vous + verrez
  • Ils/elles + verront

These are just a few examples of irregular verbs in the future tense. It's important to learn the specific forms of irregular verbs as they do not follow a set pattern.

Formation of Negative Sentences

To form a negative sentence in the future tense, simply place the word "ne" before the conjugated verb and "pas" after it. Here's an example using the regular verb "parler" (to speak):

• Je ne parlerai pas français demain. (I will not speak French tomorrow.)

Formation of Interrogative Sentences

To form an interrogative sentence in the future tense, invert the subject pronoun and the conjugated verb. You can also use question words such as "quand" (when), "où" (where), or "comment" (how) to ask specific questions about the future. Here's an example using the regular verb "manger" (to eat):

• Mangeras-tu à la maison ce soir? (Will you eat at home tonight?)

Using the Future Tense

The future tense is used in French to talk about actions and events that will happen in the future. Here are some common situations where you can use the future tense:

• Making plans:

  • Nous irons au cinéma demain. (We will go to the cinema tomorrow.)

• Predicting the future:

  • Il fera beau demain. (The weather will be nice tomorrow.)

• Expressing intentions:

  • Je vais étudier ce soir. (I am going to study tonight.)

• Talking about future events:

  • Ils auront une fête samedi prochain. (They will have a party next Saturday.)

Remember, the future tense in French is used when you want to explicitly refer to future actions or possibilities. If the context already implies the future, you can also use the present tense to talk about future events.

Conclusion

Congratulations on learning the basics of the future tense in French! You now have the tools to confidently express future actions and discuss upcoming events. Practice conjugating regular and irregular verbs in the future tense to reinforce your understanding. Happy learning!