The future tense
Je jouerai, nous travaillerons, and j'aurai, je ferai, j'irai and je serai (Higher).
Learn
The future tense, explained point by point
Everything the GCSE specification expects you to be able to do, and how to actually do it - the same lesson a signed-in student studies from.
Form the future of regular -er verbs
Keep the whole infinitive as the stem and add -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont: je jouerai, tu joueras, il jouera, nous jouerons, vous jouerez, ils joueront. The endings look like the present of avoir.
Learn j'aurai, je serai, j'irai and je ferai
Four common verbs have a stem of their own: aur- for avoir, ser- for être, ir- for aller and fer- for faire. They take the same endings: tu seras, il ira, elle fera.
Use the future for predictions and firm plans
The future says what will happen: il fera chaud demain, un jour, je visiterai le Japon. It sounds more definite than the near future, which still works for most plans.
Use the future after quand for time still to come
Where English uses the present after when, French uses the future: quand je serai grand, je travaillerai à l'étranger means when I am older, I will work abroad. Both verbs are in the future because both actions are.
Use si with the present, then the future
For a likely condition, put si with the present, then the future: s'il fait beau, nous jouerons au parc. Si becomes s' before il and ils, but not before elle.
Keep the spelling of the infinitive
Every form keeps the -er of the infinitive, even where you hardly hear the e: je mangerai, nous regarderons. A verb that changes its accent in the present keeps the change: j'achèterai.
Read the ending before you translate
The future je jouerai, the conditional je jouerais and the imperfect je jouais look alike. The future keeps the r and ends in -ai for I, so je jouerai is the only one that means I will play.
The future tense key terms
The words the specification and the mark schemes use, each defined the way an examiner wants it.
- Future tense
- The tense for what will happen: je jouerai means I will play. French calls it le futur simple.
- Future stem
- The part the endings are added to: the whole infinitive for -er verbs, as in jouer-, or a stem of its own such as ser- for être.
- Future endings
- The endings -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont, the same for every verb in this tense: nous parlerons.
- j'aurai
- I will have, from avoir: j'aurai seize ans en mars.
- je serai
- I will be, from être: je serai médecin means I will be a doctor.
- j'irai
- I will go, from aller: j'irai à l'université.
- je ferai
- I will do or make, from faire: je ferai du camping means I will go camping.
- il y aura
- There will be: il y aura un concert means there will be a concert.
Common mistakes in The future tense
The slips that cost marks year after year, and what to do instead.
Dropping the r of the infinitive, as in je jouai for I will play.
The stem is the whole infinitive, so the r stays: je jouerai, nous parlerons.
Building the future of aller or être from the infinitive, as in j'allerai.
These verbs have stems of their own: j'irai, je serai, j'aurai, je ferai. Learn them as words.
Using the present after quand about the future, as in quand je suis grand, je serai pilote.
If the time is still to come, both verbs go in the future: quand je serai grand, je serai pilote.
Putting the future after si, as in si j'aurai le temps.
After si meaning if, use the present: si j'ai le temps, je jouerai. The future goes in the other half of the sentence.
Adding an s to the je form, as in je jouerais for I will play.
Je jouerai is I will play, and je jouerais is I would play. Check the ending against the meaning before you move on.
Practice
Try a The future tense question
A GCSE-style original question from this topic. Have a go before you open the working - deciding on an answer first is what makes the working stick.
Which form completes the sentence? S'il pleut demain, nous ___ à la maison.
- resterions
- resterons
- restions
- resterez
Show the answer and the working
Answer: resterons
Si with the present (il pleut) is followed by the future: nous resterons, we will stay.
- S'il pleut is si + the present.
- The result goes in the future.
- Nous takes -ons: resterons.