Kilo Lingo
French grammar Part of Chapter 10

CEFR A2-B1

3 min read

Test yourself (27 questions)

French Future Tense: Futur Simple vs Futur Proche

By Michael McGettrickUpdated 12 October 2026

French has two futures. The is + an infinitive, - I'm going to eat, and it is the everyday spoken choice. The adds an ending to the infinitive, - I will eat, and it carries promises, forecasts and writing.

Quick check

Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.

Spot the mistake

0/3

Tap the mistake English speakers make.

The two futures at a glance

Both are correct and both are common. The difference is mostly register and distance, not grammar.

aller, the futur prochethe futur simple endinga changed or irregular stemWhat do the colours mean?
FutureBuilt fromExample
+ infinitive . - I'm going to leave.
simpleinfinitive + ending . - I will leave.
Spoken, near, plannedWritten, further off, formal
  1. Je vais partir demain.the everyday choice
  2. Je partirai demain.firmer, or written
  3. Un jour, je partirai.far off: futur simple

The futur proche: aller + infinitive

Conjugate in the present and put the second verb in the infinitive. Only changes.

Subject
aller
Infinitive
Rest
empty
  • . - I'm going to eat at a restaurant.
  • . - It's going to rain.
  • . - We're going to see each other on Saturday.

In the negative, ... wraps : . - I'm not going to leave. The -er verbs guide has every form of .

The futur simple: infinitive + ending

Take the whole infinitive and add one set of endings. The endings are the same for every verb in the language.

je parlerai - I will speak
SubjectEndingparlerfinir
-
-as
/ / on-a
-
-ez
/ -

The endings are the present of (, as, a, ), with -ons and -ez for and .

Verbs in -re drop their final e before the ending:

je prendrai - I will take
  • . - I'll take the train.
  • . - We'll wait here.

Spelling shifts carry over

Verbs such as , and , which change their spelling in the present form, keep that change in every person of the future.

VerbPresentFuture

The irregular stems

the irregular stemWhat do the colours mean?

About fifteen common verbs have their own stem. The endings stay exactly the same, and every stem ends in r.

VerbStemje form
ser-
aur-
ir-
-
pourr-
voudr-
devr-
saur-
verr-
viendr-
tiendr-
enverr-
recevr-
faudr-

Three from the table in sentences:

  • . - I'll be there at eight.
  • . - The weather will be nice tomorrow.
  • . - We'll go to town on Saturday.

The conditional uses exactly the same stems, so these are worth learning once and well.

Which future when

The overlap is large: for tomorrow, and are both fine. These are the leanings.

UseUsual choiceExample
Plans, near future . - We're eating at eight.
About to happen , ! - Careful, you'll fall!
Promises simple . - I'll call you.
Forecasts simple . - It will rain tomorrow.
Far off, simple , . - One day I'll be rich.

After quand: future twice

the futur simple endingWhat do the colours mean?

English says when I arrive with a present. French marks both halves as future when the action is still to come.

  • , . - When I arrive, I'll call you.
  • , . - As soon as you're ready, we'll go.

After (if), French keeps the present, like English: , . - If it rains, I'll stay at home. The future after conjunctions guide has the full list.

Will or would: -ai or -ais

The conditional uses the same stem with the imparfait endings, so one letter separates will from would.

  • . - I will speak.
  • . - I would speak.

Common mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
the infinitive after
future after
faisrai has the stem -
prendrerai -re verbs drop the e
allerai has the stem ir-
(will) -ais is would, - is will

What to do next

  1. Say three plans for the weekend with , then the same three with the .
  2. Learn the stems in pairs that rhyme: ser-, -; pourr-, verr-; viendr-, tiendr-.
  3. The same stems return in the French conditional.

Practise: test yourself

Build the word

0/6

Build the futur simple: the stem, then the ending.

  1. je + parler

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  2. nous + finir

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  3. tu + prendre

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  4. il + aller

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  5. vous + être

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  6. ils + avoir

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

Matching

0/7

Match each verb to its futur simple stem.

Spot the mistake

0/4

Tap the mistake English speakers make.

Fill in the blank

0/6

Put the verb in brackets into the futur simple to match the subject.

  1. Demain, j' en ville. (aller) (aller, stem ir-)

  2. Tu avec ton ami ce soir. (parler) (parler, tu)

  3. Il beau demain. (faire) (faire, stem fer-)

  4. Vous contents de me voir. (être) (être, stem ser-)

  5. Elles demain matin. (venir) (venir, stem viendr-)

  6. Je partir tôt. (pouvoir) (pouvoir, stem pourr-)

Translation drill

0/4

Translate into French with the futur simple.

  1. Tomorrow I'll go to town.

  2. The weather will be nice tomorrow.

  3. When I arrive, I'll call you.

  4. They will come this evening.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between and in French?
The is + infinitive: (I'm going to eat), on (we're going out tonight). The is one word: (I will eat), (we will go out). They overlap a lot. Roughly, the is for the near, the planned and the spoken; the for the further off, the formal, promises and writing.
How do you form the French ?
Take the infinitive and add -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont: , , , , , . Verbs in -re drop the final e first: gives . About fifteen common verbs have their own stem, such as (aur-), (ser-), (ir-), (fer-), (pourr-), (verr-) and (viendr-). The endings never change.
Is the more common than the ?
In everyday speech, yes: on ? is far more natural than ? for tonight's plans. The stays common in writing, in forecasts ( ), in promises ( ) and after for a future action. You will say mostly the and read mostly the .
What is the difference between and ?
is the (I will speak); is the conditional (I would speak). They share the stem, and only the ending differs: -ai for the future, -ais for the conditional. Many speakers pronounce them alike, so the context decides; in writing the s matters.
Do you use the future after in French?
Yes, when the action is still to come. English says when I arrive, I'll call you, with a present after when; French puts both halves in the future: , . The same goes for (as soon as). After (if), French uses the present, as English does: , .