Language/French/Grammar/The-future
The future tense in French is used to talk about actions that will happen in the future. In this lesson, we will go over how to form the future tense in French and provide examples.
Regular Verbs
To form the future tense of regular verbs in French, you need to add the endings -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont to the infinitive form of the verb. Here's a table with the verb parler (to speak) in the future tense:
| Subject Pronoun | Verb Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| je | parlerai | Je parlerai à mon professeur demain. (I will speak to my teacher tomorrow.) |
| tu | parleras | Tu parleras français couramment. (You will speak French fluently.) |
| il/elle/on | parlera | Il parlera avec ses amis après le travail. (He will speak with his friends after work.) |
| nous | parlerons | Nous parlerons de notre voyage en Italie. (We will talk about our trip to Italy.) |
| vous | parlerez | Vous parlerez à votre chef demain matin. (You will speak to your boss tomorrow morning.) |
| ils/elles | parleront | Ils parleront de leur projet ce soir. (They will talk about their project tonight.) |
Irregular Verbs
Some verbs have irregular future tense forms, which do not follow the regular pattern. Here are a few examples:
- être (to be): je serai, tu seras, il/elle/on sera, nous serons, vous serez, ils/elles seront
- avoir (to have): j'aurai, tu auras, il/elle/on aura, nous aurons, vous aurez, ils/elles auront
- faire (to do/make): je ferai, tu feras, il/elle/on fera, nous ferons, vous ferez, ils/elles feront
- aller (to go): j'irai, tu iras, il/elle/on ira, nous irons, vous irez, ils/elles iront
Usage
The future tense is used to talk about actions that will happen in the future, and can also be used to make predictions or talk about future plans. Here are some examples:
- Je partirai en vacances l'été prochain. (I will go on vacation next summer.)
- Il fera beau demain. (It will be nice weather tomorrow.)
- Nous irons au cinéma ce soir. (We will go to the movies tonight.)
- Tu auras réussi ton examen. (You will have passed your exam.)
- Elles seront à l'aéroport à midi. (They will be at the airport at noon.)
In summary, the future tense in French is formed by adding the appropriate endings to the infinitive form of the verb. Regular verbs follow a predictable pattern, while irregular verbs have unique forms. The future tense is used to talk about actions that will happen in the future, make predictions, or discuss future plans.