Future Anterior (le futur antérieur) Tense in French Grammar

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The future anterior tense, or “le futur antérieur”, is one of the compound verb tenses in the French language. It is used to express an action that will be completed before another action in the future.

 

Formation of the Future Anterior Tense

To form the future anterior tense, you need two elements: the future tense of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” and the past participle of the main verb.

For regular verbs, the future tense of “avoir” or “être” is combined with the past participle of the main verb. For example:

  • J'aurai mangé (I will have eaten)
  • Ils seront partis (They will have left)

 

Usage of the Future Anterior Tense

The future anterior tense is primarily used to indicate an action that will be completed before another future action. It is often employed in complex sentences where there are multiple actions in the future, with one action happening before the other.

 

Examples in Context

1. Completed Action Before Another Future Action

  • Quand tu auras fini tes devoirs, nous irons au cinéma. (When you have finished your homework, we will go to the cinema.)

 

2. Hypothetical Situations

  • S'il aura plu demain, nous resterons à la maison. (If it has rained tomorrow, we will stay at home.)

 

3. Reported Speech

  • Il a dit qu'il aura terminé le projet avant la fin de la semaine. (He said he will have finished the project by the end of the week.)

 

More Examples

  • Quand tu auras fini tes devoirs, nous irons au cinéma. (When you have finished your homework, we will go to the cinema.)
  • S'il aura plu demain, nous resterons à la maison. (If it has rained tomorrow, we will stay at home.)
  • Il a dit qu'il aura terminé le projet avant la fin de la semaine. (He said he will have finished the project by the end of the week.)
  • Je serai parti(e) avant midi. (I will have left before noon.)
  • Elle sera rentrée chez elle. (She will have returned home.)

 

Verbs Using “Être” as Auxiliary

Remember, some verbs use “être” as their auxiliary verb in compound tenses. These verbs are usually related to movement or changes in state.

Here are a few examples:

  • Je serai parti(e) avant midi. (I will have left before noon.)
  • Elle sera rentrée chez elle. (She will have returned home.)

 

Future Anterior Exercises with Answers

Here are some exercises to practice the future anterior tense:

 

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in the future anterior tense:

  1. Quand nous ________ (arriver) à Paris, nous ________ (déjà visiter) la Tour Eiffel.
  2. Elle ________ (préparer) le dîner quand nous ________ (rentrer) à la maison.
  3. Si tu ________ (finir) tes devoirs avant demain, nous ________ (aller) faire une promenade.

 

Exercise 2: Translate into French

Translate the following sentences into French using the future anterior tense:

  1. They will have finished their homework by the time we arrive.
  2. When she wakes up, I will have already left for work.
  3. If they have cleaned the house, we will have guests over for dinner.

 

Exercise 3: Rewrite the Sentences

Rewrite the following sentences using the future anterior tense:

  1. Il a mangé avant d'aller au cinéma.
  2. Elle a terminé son travail avant midi.
  3. Nous avons vu le film après avoir mangé.

 

Answers:

Exercise 1:

  1. arriverons, aurons déjà visité
  2. préparera, rentrerons
  3. finis, irons

 

Exercise 2:

  1. Ils auront fini leurs devoirs quand nous arriverons.
  2. Quand elle se réveillera, je serai déjà parti(e) au travail.
  3. S'ils auront nettoyé la maison, nous aurons des invités pour le dîner.

 

Exercise 3:

  1. Il aura mangé avant d'aller au cinéma.
  2. Elle aura terminé son travail avant midi.
  3. Nous aurons vu le film après avoir mangé.

 

See also our article about future in French.