Tense
The French Simple Future
Formation, irregular stems and the difference with the near future — everything you need to know.
The simple future (futur simple) expresses an action or state that will take place in the future. For regular verbs it is one of the easiest tenses to form: simply add endings to the infinitive.
Formation — regular verbs
The rule: infinitive + endings (-ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont).
| Ending | Parler (1st gr.) | Finir (2nd gr.) | Vendre (3rd gr.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ai (je) | parlerai | finirai | vendrai |
| -as (tu) | parleras | finiras | vendras |
| -a (il/elle) | parlera | finira | vendra |
| -ons (nous) | parlerons | finirons | vendrons |
| -ez (vous) | parlerez | finirez | vendrez |
| -ont (ils/elles) | parleront | finiront | vendront |
For -re verbs: drop the final -e before adding endings (vendre → vendr-).
Irregular future stems — must memorise
| Verb | Stem | Je (future) |
|---|---|---|
| être (be) | ser- | serai |
| avoir (have) | aur- | aurai |
| aller (go) | ir- | irai |
| faire (do/make) | fer- | ferai |
| pouvoir (can) | pourr- | pourrai |
| vouloir (want) | voudr- | voudrai |
| savoir (know) | saur- | saurai |
| venir (come) | viendr- | viendrai |
| voir (see) | verr- | verrai |
| courir (run) | courr- | courrai |
| envoyer (send) | enverr- | enverrai |
| falloir (must) | faudr- | faudra (il) |
Simple future vs near future
| Near future (futur proche) | Simple future (futur simple) | |
|---|---|---|
| Form | aller + infinitive | infinitive + endings |
| Time frame | Immediate or near future | More distant or indefinite future |
| Certainty | Strong sense of certainty | More neutral or formal |
| Example | Je vais manger dans 5 minutes. | Je mangerai quand j'aurai faim. |
Key rule: si (if) + present → future simple (never si + future tense).
Si tu viens (present), je serai content. ✓ — Si tu viendras… ✗
Irregular VerbsÊtre, avoir, aller, faire…
Past Participle AgreementRules and exceptions
Être or avoir?Choosing the right auxiliary
The SubjunctiveFormation and use
Imperfect / PerfectHow to choose
Simple FutureFormation and irregulars
Conjugate any French verb at all tenses and moods.
Open the conjugator →