1- Using the Present to Express the Future:
The present tense may be used to imply the future when you’re asking for instructions or referring to an action that will take place in the immediate future. You will know when the future is implied by the present
through the context of the conversation.
2- Aller + Infinitive:
In French, as in English, the near future may be expressed with a form of the present tense of the verb aller (to go) plus the infinitive referring to the action that the speaker will perform. The near future is generally used for an action that is imminent—that is going to happen soon.
The irregular present tense of aller is conjugated as follows:
The present tense may be used to imply the future when you’re asking for instructions or referring to an action that will take place in the immediate future. You will know when the future is implied by the present
through the context of the conversation.
Je mets le livre ici? (Shall I put the book here?)
Elle arrive bientôt. (She will arrive soon.)2- Aller + Infinitive:
In French, as in English, the near future may be expressed with a form of the present tense of the verb aller (to go) plus the infinitive referring to the action that the speaker will perform. The near future is generally used for an action that is imminent—that is going to happen soon.
The irregular present tense of aller is conjugated as follows:
je vais nous allons
tu vas vous allez
il va ils vont
Add an infinitive to get the near future: Je vais aller à Dijon. (I’m going to go to Dijon.) Nous allons prendre l’avion. (We’re going to take the plane.)
3- The Future Tense of Regular Verbs:
The future tense tells what the subject will do or what action will take place in a future time. The future tense of all regular verbs is formed by adding the endings indicated in red to the infinitive of the verb.
The future tense tells what the subject will do or what action will take place in a future time. The future tense of all regular verbs is formed by adding the endings indicated in red to the infinitive of the verb.
-ER VERBS -IR VERBS -RE VERBS
parler (to speak) finir (to finish) rendre (to return)
parler (to speak) finir (to finish) rendre (to return)
je parlerai je finirai je rendrai
tu parleras tu finiras tu rendras
il parlera elle finira on rendra
nous parlerons nous finirons nous rendrons
vous parlerez vous finirez vous rendrez
ils parleront ils finiront elles rendront
tu parleras tu finiras tu rendras
il parlera elle finira on rendra
nous parlerons nous finirons nous rendrons
vous parlerez vous finirez vous rendrez
ils parleront ils finiront elles rendront
Notice:
• -re verbs drop the final e before adding the appropriate future ending:
répondre, il répondra; vendre, nous vendrons
• -re verbs drop the final e before adding the appropriate future ending:
répondre, il répondra; vendre, nous vendrons
• The e of the -er infinitive remains silent in the future tense:
Il travaillera. (He will work).
Nous en parlerons. (We’ll speak about it).
Il travaillera. (He will work).
Nous en parlerons. (We’ll speak about it).
-yer Verbs:
j’emploierai nous emploierons
tu emploieras vous emploierez
il emploiera elles emploieront
tu emploieras vous emploierez
il emploiera elles emploieront
-ayer Verbs: With verbs ending in -ayer, you have the option of changing y to i in all future forms:
je paierai (payerai), nous paierons (payerons).
It is probably easier, however, to remember the y-to-i change for all -yer verbs, including those ending in -ayer.
It is probably easier, however, to remember the y-to-i change for all -yer verbs, including those ending in -ayer.
e + Consonant + er Verbs:
j’achèterai nous achèterons
tu achèteras vous achèterez
il achètera elles achèteront
j’achèterai nous achèterons
tu achèteras vous achèterez
il achètera elles achèteront
Verbs with silent e: (those verbs ending in -eler and -eter ) like appeler and jeter double the consonant in the future:
appeler, to call jeter, to throw
j’appellerai nous appellerons je jetterai nous jetterons
tu appelleras vous appellerez tu jetteras vous jetterez
il appellera ils appelleront elle jettera ils jetteront
j’appellerai nous appellerons je jetterai nous jetterons
tu appelleras vous appellerez tu jetteras vous jetterez
il appellera ils appelleront elle jettera ils jetteront
The Future Tense of Irregular Verbs: The verbs below have irregular future stems, which always end in -r or -rr. Just add the future endings to these stems to get the correct future form:
INFINITIVE STEM INFINITIVE STEM
aller (to go) ir- pouvoir (to be able to) pourr-
avoir (to have) aur- recevoir (to receive) recevr-
devoir (to have to) devr- savoir (to know) saur-
envoyer (to send) enverr- venir (to come) viendr-
être (to be) ser- voir (to see) verr-
faire (to make, do) fer- vouloir (to wish, want) voudr-