French, like many languages, offers various ways to express the future tense, each serving a specific purpose or conveying a different shade of meaning. Let's look into the different future tenses in French to understand their nuances and usage.
Overview of the Differences Between the Future Tenses in French
- Simple Future Tense (Le Futur Simple): Used to express actions that will happen in the future with certainty.
- Near Future (Le Futur Proche): Used to express actions that are going to happen soon, typically in the immediate or near future.
- Future Anterior (Le Futur Antérieur): Used to express actions that will have happened by a specific point in the future.
- Conditional Future (Le Futur du Conditionnel): Used to express actions that would happen in the future under certain conditions.
- Past future (le Futur Passé): Used to express actions that will have been completed by a specific point in the future.
In the following we will descripe each of the French future tenses in detail.
Simple Future Tense (Le Futur Simple)
The simple future tense (le futur simple) is the most common way to express future actions in French. It is formed by adding specific endings to the infinitive form of the verb. This tense is used to describe actions that will happen in the future with certainty.
Example sentences:
- Je mangerai une pizza ce soir. (I will eat a pizza tonight.)
- Ils partiront en vacances demain. (They will leave for vacation tomorrow.)
- Elle ira au cinéma ce week-end. (She will go to the movies this weekend.)
Text example with translation:
Dans dix ans, je serai médecin. J'aurai accompli mon rêve d'enfance et je travaillerai dans un hôpital. Je soignerai les patients avec dévouement et compassion. Ma carrière sera enrichissante et pleine de défis, mais je suis prêt à relever tous les obstacles qui se présenteront sur mon chemin.
(In ten years, I will be a doctor. I will have accomplished my childhood dream, and I will work in a hospital. I will care for patients with dedication and compassion. My career will be rewarding and full of challenges, but I am ready to overcome any obstacles that come my way.)
Near Future (Le Futur Proche)
The near future tense (le futur proche) is formed using the present tense of the verb “aller” (to go), followed by the infinitive of the main verb. This tense is used to express actions that are going to happen soon, typically in the immediate or near future.
Example sentences:
- Je vais manger une pizza ce soir. (I am going to eat a pizza tonight.)
- Nous allons partir en vacances demain. (We are going to leave for vacation tomorrow.)
- Elles vont aller au cinéma ce week-end. (They are going to go to the movies this weekend.)
Text example with translation:
Ce soir, je vais préparer un délicieux repas pour ma famille. Je vais cuisiner un plat traditionnel avec des ingrédients frais et savoureux. Ensuite, nous allons tous nous réunir autour de la table et partager un moment de convivialité. Nous allons rire, discuter et profiter de la compagnie les uns des autres.
(Tonight, I am going to prepare a delicious meal for my family. I will cook a traditional dish with fresh and flavorful ingredients. Then, we will all gather around the table and share a moment of togetherness. We will laugh, talk, and enjoy each other's company.)
Future Anterior (Le Futur Antérieur)
The future anterior tense (le futur antérieur) is formed using the simple future tense of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être”, followed by the past participle of the main verb. This tense is used to express actions that will have happened by a specific point in the future.
Example sentences:
- Quand tu auras fini tes devoirs, tu pourras sortir. (When you will have finished your homework, you will be able to go out.)
- Il aura acheté une nouvelle voiture d'ici la fin de l'année. (He will have bought a new car by the end of the year.)
- Nous serons partis avant que la pluie commence. (We will have left before the rain starts.)
Text example with translation:
Lorsque j'aurai terminé mes études, je voyagerai à travers le monde pendant un an. J'aurai économisé de l'argent pour ce projet depuis des années, et je suis impatient de découvrir de nouvelles cultures et de rencontrer des gens intéressants. Une fois mon voyage terminé, je serai plus ouvert d'esprit et prêt à affronter les défis qui m'attendent dans ma carrière.
(When I will have finished my studies, I will travel around the world for a year. I will have saved money for this project for years, and I am eager to discover new cultures and meet interesting people. Once my trip is over, I will be more open-minded and ready to face the challenges that await me in my career.)
Conditional Future (Le Futur du Conditionnel)
The conditional future tense (le futur du conditionnel) is formed using the conditional present tense of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être”, followed by the past participle of the main verb. This tense is used to express actions that would happen in the future under certain conditions.
Example sentences:
- Il viendrait si tu l'invitais. (He would come if you invited him.)
- Nous partirions en vacances s'il faisait beau. (We would leave for vacation if the weather was nice.)
- Elles achèteraient cette maison si elles avaient assez d'argent. (They would buy this house if they had enough money.)
Text example with translation:
Si j'avais plus de temps libre, je voyagerais plus souvent. J'explorerais des destinations exotiques et je découvrerais de nouvelles expériences. Voyager me permettrait d'élargir mes horizons et de me sentir plus épanoui sur le plan personnel.
(If I had more free time, I would travel more often. I would explore exotic destinations and discover new experiences. Traveling would allow me to broaden my horizons and feel more fulfilled personally.)
You can see more sentences in conditionel here.
Past Future (Futur Passé)
The futur passé (past future) tense in French is used to express actions that will have been completed by a specific point in the future. It is formed using the future tense of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être”, followed by the past participle of the main verb.
Formation:
- For regular verbs: future tense of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” + past participle of the main verb.
- For irregular verbs: same formation as regular verbs, but irregular past participles are used.
Example:
- Quand j'aurai fini mes devoirs, je regarderai la télévision. (When I will have finished my homework, I will watch TV.)
In this example, “aurai fini” is the future tense of the auxiliary verb “avoir” followed by the past participle “fini” (finished) of the main verb “finir” (to finish). The action of finishing homework will be completed before the speaker watches TV in the future.
More example sentences:
- Quand nous aurons terminé notre voyage, nous aurons visité cinq pays différents. (When we will have finished our trip, we will have visited five different countries.)
- Après qu'il sera rentré chez lui, il aura préparé le dîner pour sa famille. (After he will have returned home, he will have prepared dinner for his family.)
- Lorsqu'elle aura lu tous les livres de cette série, elle en achètera une nouvelle. (When she will have read all the books in this series, she will buy a new one.)
The “futur passé” tense allows speakers to refer to completed actions in relation to a future point in time, providing a way to express the sequence of events that will have occurred.
Text example with translation:
Dans dix ans, j'aurai réalisé mon rêve de devenir écrivain. J'aurai publié plusieurs romans à succès et je serai reconnu dans le monde littéraire. Avant d'atteindre ce succès, j'aurai passé de nombreuses heures à écrire et à peaufiner mes histoires. J'aurai également rencontré des critiques et des obstacles, mais j'aurai persévéré malgré les difficultés. Mon parcours vers le succès aura été semé d'embûches, mais chaque défi aura renforcé ma détermination à réussir.
(In ten years, I will have realized my dream of becoming a writer. I will have published several successful novels and I will be recognized in the literary world. Before achieving this success, I will have spent many hours writing and refining my stories. I will have also faced critics and obstacles, but I will have persevered despite the difficulties. My journey towards success will have been filled with challenges, but each challenge will have strengthened my determination to succeed.)