Futur Simple – Future Tense in French

Key takeaways

• The futur simple is the French tense used to describe actions that will happen.
• It is formed with the infinitive stem + endings -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont.
• Regular verbs are predictable, while many common verbs have irregular stems.
• It usually translates to the English “will” (I will eat, we will go).
• Learners should also know how to distinguish between futur simple and futur proche.

Imagine telling your French teacher, “Demain, j’irai à Paris” versus “Demain, je vais aller à Paris.” Both mean “I will go to Paris tomorrow,” but they use different tenses: futur simple and futur proche. The futur simple is slightly more formal and often appears in writing, predictions, and polite speech.

What Is the Futur Simple?

The futur simple describes events that will happen in the future. It corresponds to the English “will + verb.”

Examples:

• Je parlerai avec lui demain. → I will talk to him tomorrow.
• Nous irons en France l’année prochaine. → We will go to France next year.

How to Form the Futur Simple

The futur simple is formed with:

Infinitive (minus the final -e for -re verbs) + endings -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont

Futur Simple Endings

Learners often make small mistakes, like forgetting to drop the final -e in -re verbs (je vendrai not je vendreai). This grammar guide with futur simple examples has practice drills to reinforce endings.

Futur Simple Conjugation Examples

Regular Verbs

Irregular Stems

Some verbs don’t use the infinitive stem. Instead, they have irregular forms, but the endings remain the same.

1

When to Use the Futur Simple

You’ll use futur simple when you want to:

1. Express future actions

• Demain, nous visiterons le musée. → Tomorrow, we will visit the museum.

2. Make predictions

• Il fera beau la semaine prochaine. → The weather will be nice next week.

3. Speak politely or formally

• Vous aurez une réponse demain. → You will have an answer tomorrow.

4. Write stories and narratives

• Dans cent ans, les hommes vivront sur Mars. → In 100 years, people will live on Mars.

If you’re not sure when to use futur simple versus futur proche, this comparison of futur simple and futur proche with examples will help you distinguish between them.

Futur Simple vs. Futur Proche

French has two main ways to talk about the future:

• Futur proche = informal, immediate, “going to.”
• Futur simple = formal, distant, narrative “will.”

Comparison Table

Common Mistakes with the Futur Simple

1. Forgetting to drop the -e in -re verbs 
   
   • ❌ Je vendreai
   • ✅ Je vendrai
2. Using present tense incorrectly for future 
   
   • ❌ Demain, je vais à Paris. (present)
   • ✅ Demain, j’irai à Paris.
3. Confusing futur simple and futur proche 
   
   • ❌ Je vais partir en 2050. (too far in future for futur proche)
   • ✅ Je partirai en 2050.

Exercises: Practice the Futur Simple

1. Fill in the blanks: 
   
   • Demain, tu ________ (finir) ton travail.
   • Ils ________ (avoir) une grande maison.
   • Nous ________ (être) heureux ensemble.
2. Translate into French: 
   
   • I will see you tomorrow.
   • She will go to Paris next year.
   • We will do our homework later.
3. Correct the mistakes: 
   
   • Je allerai au marché demain. → ________
   • Ils mangerai du pain. → ________

Answers

1. finiras, auront, serons
2. Je te verrai demain, Elle ira à Paris l’année prochaine, Nous ferons nos devoirs plus tard
3. J’irai au marché demain | Ils mangeront du pain

Tips for Mastering the Futur Simple

• Memorize irregular stems like ser-, aur-, ir-, fer-, viendr-.
• Practice with time markers (demain, bientôt, dans une semaine).
• Use it in predictions (Il pleuvra demain).
• Read news articles and forecasts to see futur simple in real contexts.

For long-term progress, our guide on learning French effectively explains how to balance grammar with speaking. And if you want to know how long it might take to master this tense, see how long it takes to learn French fluently.

Summary

The futur simple is your tool for describing what will happen. It’s built from the infinitive stem plus endings (-ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont). Once you’ve learned the irregular stems, the tense is easy to master.

If you want to practice making predictions and polite promises, start with simple examples or role-play dialogues while you learn French with Promova. With practice, you’ll feel comfortable switching between futur proche and futur simple depending on the context.