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Lesson 4 of 5Raconter: Past, Present and Future
Unit 3 · Lesson 4 of 5

Talking About the Future

French has two everyday futures: the futur proche (aller + infinitive, I'm going to) and the futur simple (one word, I will). This lesson builds both, covers the irregular future stems, and gives you the vocabulary to talk about plans, hopes and part-time jobs.

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Key things to remember

  1. 1Futur proche = aller (présent) + infinitive: je vais travailler. Negative: je ne vais pas travailler.
  2. 2Futur simple = infinitive + -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont; -re verbs drop the final e: je vendrai.
  3. 3Key irregular stems: ser- (être), aur- (avoir), ir- (aller), fer- (faire), viendr- (venir), verr- (voir), pourr- (pouvoir), voudr- (vouloir), saur- (savoir), devr- (devoir).
  4. 4Every future stem ends in r.
  5. 5After quand about the future, use the future: Quand j'aurai seize ans, je travaillerai.
  6. 6Jobs: gardien(ne) d'enfants, caissier/caissière, livreur/livreuse; qualities: disponible, responsable, débrouillard(e), honnête.

Talking about the future comes up all the time: weekend plans, what you will study next year, the summer job you hope to get, the career you dream about. French gives you two tools, just as English has I'm going to work and I will work. The futur proche (near future) is aller in the present plus an infinitive: je vais travailler (I'm going to work). You already know every piece of it, so it is the easiest way to talk about the future in conversation. The futur simple (simple future) is a single word: je travaillerai (I will work). It is used for plans further away, promises, predictions, and in writing. Both are correct in most situations, so learn the futur proche to speak right away and the futur simple to write and to understand what you read.

The futur proche: aller + infinitive

SubjectAller (présent)InfinitiveEnglish
jevaistravaillerI'm going to work
tuvaschercher un emploiyou're going to look for a job
il / elle / onvapleuvoirit's going to rain
nousallonspartirwe're going to leave
vousallezréussiryou're going to succeed
ils / ellesvontarriverthey're going to arrive
Only aller is conjugated; the second verb stays in the infinitive with no preposition between them (je vais manger, never je vais à manger). Negative: ne … pas wraps aller, as in je ne vais pas travailler. A reflexive pronoun goes before the infinitive and matches the subject: je vais me lever, nous allons nous coucher.

The futur simple: one word

Two ways to talk about the futureFutur prochealler (présent) + infinitive = going toje vaistu vasil vanous allonsvous allezils vontJe vais manger.I am going to eat.Nous allons partir demain.We are going to leave tomorrow.Futur simpleinfinitive + ending = will (-re verbs drop the final e)parler + aije parleraiI will speakfinir + astu finirasyou will finishvendre + aelle vendrashe will sellje -aitu -asil -anous -onsvous -ezils -ontTip: the endings look like avoir (j'ai, tu as, il a, ils ont).Irregular futur stems — same endings, and every stem ends in rêtreser-je seraiavoiraur-j'auraiallerir-j'iraifairefer-je feraivenirviendr-je viendraivoirverr-je verraipouvoirpourr-je pourraivouloirvoudr-je voudraisavoirsaur-je sauraidevoirdevr-je devraiHear an r right before the ending? Think “will”: je serai = I will be, j'irai = I will go.
Fig 1Futur proche: aller + infinitive. Futur simple: the infinitive (minus the final e of -re verbs) plus -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont. Irregular stems still end in r.
SubjectEndingparlerfinirvendre (drop the e)
je / j'-aiparleraifiniraivendrai
tu-asparlerasfinirasvendras
il / elle / on-aparlerafiniravendra
nous-onsparleronsfinironsvendrons
vous-ezparlerezfinirezvendrez
ils / elles-ontparlerontfinirontvendront
The stem is the whole infinitive. Verbs ending in -re drop their final e so the ending attaches directly to the r: vendre → vendr- → je vendrai.
Why the endings look like avoir
Compare the endings -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont with the présent of avoir: ai, as, a, avons, avez, ont. They are almost identical, and that is no accident. The French future grew out of a phrase meaning I have to sing (infinitive + avoir), which fused into one word over the centuries. That is also why every future stem ends in r: it is the r of the infinitive. If your future form has no r before the ending, something is wrong.
InfinitiveFuture stemJe formEnglish
êtreser-je seraiI will be
avoiraur-j'auraiI will have
allerir-j'iraiI will go
fairefer-je feraiI will do / make
venir (devenir, revenir)viendr-je viendraiI will come
voirverr-je verraiI will see
pouvoirpourr-je pourraiI will be able to
vouloirvoudr-je voudraiI will want
savoirsaur-je sauraiI will know
devoirdevr-je devraiI will have to
envoyerenverr-j'enverraiI will send
recevoirrecevr-je recevraiI will receive
Irregular stems, same endings. Two impersonal forms are worth knowing too: il faut → il faudra (it will be necessary) and il pleut → il pleuvra (it will rain).
Spelling-change verbs
Verbs such as acheter, se lever and appeler, which change their spelling in the présent, keep that change in every form of the future: acheter → j'achèterai (I will buy), se lever → je me lèverai, appeler → j'appellerai (I will call). With other -er verbs, the e of the infinitive is written even though you barely hear it: je jouerai, j'étudierai.
AFutur proche (je vais travailler)
  • Feels close, certain or already decided
  • Very common in conversation
  • Ce soir, je vais regarder le match.
BFutur simple (je travaillerai)
  • Plans further away, promises, predictions
  • More common in writing and formal speech
  • Un jour, je travaillerai à l'étranger.
Quand + future in French
When quand (when) refers to the future, French uses the future after it, where English uses the present: Quand j'aurai seize ans, je chercherai un emploi. (When I am sixteen, I will look for a job.) Writing quand j'ai seize ans here is a classic anglophone error.

Hopes, plans and part-time work

To say…FrenchExample
I hope to…j'espère + infinitiveJ'espère trouver un emploi d'été. (I hope to find a summer job.)
I plan to…je compte + infinitive / j'ai l'intention de + infinitiveJ'ai l'intention d'économiser de l'argent. (I intend to save money.)
I would like to…je voudrais + infinitiveJe voudrais devenir infirmière. (I would like to become a nurse.)
I dream of…je rêve de + infinitiveJe rêve de voyager en Afrique. (I dream of travelling in Africa.)
Later / one dayplus tard / un jourPlus tard, je serai ingénieur. (Later, I will be an engineer.)
After espérer, compter and vouloir the next verb is a plain infinitive; after avoir l'intention de and rêver de it follows de (d' before a vowel). A job name on its own takes no article after être or devenir: je serai ingénieur, not je serai un ingénieur.
FrenchEnglishNote
un emploi à temps partiela part-time jobà temps plein = full-time; un emploi d'été = a summer job
un gardien / une gardienne d'enfantsa babysitterCanadian usage; in France you will also hear un/une baby-sitter
un caissier / une caissièrea cashier-ier → -ière, like premier → première
un livreur / une livreusea delivery personfrom livrer (to deliver)
un serveur / une serveusea server (restaurant)
un moniteur / une monitrice de campa camp counsellor-teur → -trice
disponibleavailableJe serai disponible le samedi.
responsableresponsiblesame form for masculine and feminine
débrouillard / débrouillarderesourceful, good at figuring things outa very common compliment in Canadian French
honnêtehonestsame form for masculine and feminine
ponctuel / ponctuellepunctual, on time
une entrevue / un CVa job interview / a résuméentrevue is the Canadian word; France says un entretien
In context: a job ad and a reply
L'annonce : Famille de Sudbury cherche gardien ou gardienne d'enfants pour deux enfants de 5 et 8 ans. Emploi à temps partiel, le samedi de 9 h à 15 h. Nous cherchons une personne responsable, honnête et débrouillarde, disponible tout l'été. La réponse : Bonjour Madame Tremblay, je m'appelle Noah Côté et j'ai quinze ans. J'ai vu votre annonce et je serai disponible tous les samedis de l'été. En juin, je vais suivre un cours de secourisme. Je suis responsable, honnête et débrouillard : je garde souvent mes deux petites cousines. Je pourrai commencer le 29 juin et je viendrai à une entrevue quand vous voudrez. Je vous enverrai mon CV ce soir. Merci et bonne journée, Noah

Translation: The ad: Sudbury family looking for a babysitter for two children aged 5 and 8. Part-time job, Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. We are looking for a responsible, honest and resourceful person, available all summer. The reply: Hello Mrs. Tremblay, my name is Noah Côté and I am fifteen. I saw your ad and I will be available every Saturday this summer. In June, I'm going to take a first-aid course. I am responsible, honest and resourceful: I often look after my two little cousins. I will be able to start on June 29 and I will come to an interview whenever you like. I will send you my résumé tonight. Thank you and have a good day, Noah. Notice the mix: the futur proche vais suivre for a plan already set, the futur simple serai, pourrai, viendrai, enverrai (all irregular stems) for promises to the employer. Even quand vous voudrez (whenever you like) is in the future, because it is about a future time. The ad uses débrouillarde because it agrees with une personne; Noah, describing himself, writes débrouillard.

Worked examples

Reveal one step at a time and try to beat it to the next line.

Example 1
Translate: We will finish at five o'clock. (futur simple)
Example 2
Translate: She will be available on Saturday.
Example 3
Translate: I'm going to look for a part-time job.
Example 4
Translate: When I am eighteen, I will go to university.

Where marks get lost

  • Adding à in the futur proche: Je vais à travailler. The infinitive follows aller directly: Je vais travailler.
  • Using the regular stem for an irregular verb: j'allerai, je faisrai, j'avoirai. Correct: j'irai, je ferai, j'aurai.
  • Keeping the e of -re verbs: je vendreai. Drop it: je vendrai.
  • Using the present after quand: Quand je suis grand, je serai pilote. Use the future: Quand je serai grand, je serai pilote.
  • Adding an article before a job: Je serai une caissière. After être and devenir, leave it out: Je serai caissière.

Flashcards 10

Futur proche formula
Futur simple endings
Future stems of être, avoir, aller, faire
Future stems of venir, voir, pouvoir, vouloir
+ 6 more

Practice

1
Write the futur proche of travailler for je (two words): Samedi, je ___ au dépanneur.
2
Write the futur simple of finir for nous: Nous ___ le projet lundi.
3
What is the future stem of aller?
4
Write the futur simple of être for je: L'été prochain, je ___ moniteur de camp.
5
Match each infinitive to its future stem.
avoir
faire
voir
pouvoir
venir
savoir
6
Which job is a livreuse?
7
Write the correct future form of avoir: Quand elle ___ seize ans, elle cherchera un emploi.
8
Put the words in order to say I'm not going to work on Sunday.
  1. 1travailler
  2. 2pas
  3. 3dimanche.
  4. 4Je
  5. 5ne
  6. 6vais
9
Which sentence contains an error?
10
Write the futur simple of vendre for ils: Ils ___ des billets au concert.
11
Chloé writes about herself in a job application. Which word means she is good at figuring things out on her own?

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