Tout sera bien: future tense in french

If at times in Russian everything is clear, then with European languages, as a rule, the situation is more complicated. French is no exception: there are several constructions in it to express the future tense.

All times french

In French, there are only three basic tenses: present, past and future. But there are several dozen types of temporary forms used for different situations, which can shock those who are just starting to learn the language.

However, you should not panic, because even for beginners, the French language becomes clearer if you look a little. Firstly, some constructions are used only in the outdated book language and are found in classical literature. Secondly, in conversation, the French do not like complexity and strive for simplification, so it’s enough for beginners to know only the basic ways of making future tense in French.

A simple future: le Futur simple

It is a simple future tense in the usual sense, that is, it is used to express the action that will occur after the moment of conversation. Moreover, this can happen at a foreseeable point in time, for example, next summer or in the uncertain future.

Verbs of groups I and II form a simple future with the endings -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont, which are added to the infinitive:

For instance:

• Je serai médecin pour aider les gens. - I will become a doctor to help people.
• L'année prochaine j'irai étudier aux Etats-Unis. - Next year I will study in the USA.

In most verbs of group III, the future tense form is formed similarly to verbs of groups I and II, but for verbs ending in -re, the last letter e disappears.

It is worth noting that for many verbs of the third group, when forming the form of the future tense, the base changes, then all the same endings of the future tense are assigned to it. These exceptions need to be simply remembered. Below are some of them:

In addition to the main purpose, Futur simple can also be used to express an order, advice or a polite request.

• Je vous demanderai me montrer les alentours. “I would ask you to show me the surroundings.”
• M'appellerai plus tôt possible. - Call me as soon as possible.

The form Futur simple of the verbs etre or avoir is sometimes used to express insecurity, assumptions. For instance:

• Quel âge at-elle? - Elle aura diz ans. How old is she? “She's probably ten.”
• Où est-il? - Il sera à l'ecole. Where is he? - He's probably at school.

It is important to pay attention to the fact that after si the future tense form is not applied in French!

The near future: le Futur proche

The French love to express the future through the present. Recently, this technique has become increasingly popular. This is not surprising: you do not need to memorize the endings and think about changes in the base, just put the verb aller in the right form of the present tense and add the infinitive to it:

Such sentences are translated into Russian as "going to do something", "do it right now":

• Je vais prendre un café. “I'm going to drink some coffee.”
• Nous allons nous marier. - We're going to get married.

English learners can draw an analogy with the construction to be going to.

Future Past: Futur dans le Passe

Expresses future action in relation to the past. Used to coordinate times when the verb of the main part of the sentence is in the past tense or the narration is in the past. Widely used in indirect speech.

The form of the Futur dans le passe verbs differs from the Futur simple form in that the endings are borrowed from the Imperfait form: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.

The basis of the verbs of group III changes similarly to the foundations of Futur simple.

Upcoming Time: Futur antérieur

The composite construction, the so-called future time, expresses an action that will take place in the future before the onset of another future, that is, it will end before another action is completed.

Drawing a parallel with the English language, we can say that this model of the future tense in French resembles Future Perfect.

In order to put the verb into the Futur antérieur form, it is necessary to use the verb avoir or être in the form of a simple future tense, and from the verb of action to form the past participle. The verbs of motion or state should be used together with the verb être, the rest - with avoir. In the first case, the main verb is consistent with the subject in gender and number. Futur antérieur is one of the most difficult forms of the future tense in French. Examples are given below:

We hope our little guide will help you learn the language.