---
title: "The French future tense: futur proche, futur simple and futur antérieur"
description: "How to talk about the future in French: when to use the futur proche (je vais partir), the futur simple (je partirai) and the futur antérieur, with examples."
url: "https://laclassefrancaise.es/en/blog/french-future-tense"
lang: "en"
author: "Thierry Gustin"
published: "2026-10-30"
updated: "2026-11-07"
---

# The French future tense: futur proche, futur simple and futur antérieur

> **Key takeaways** — French mainly uses two tenses to talk about the future: the futur proche (aller + infinitive: je vais partir) for what is imminent or already decided, and the futur simple (infinitive + -ai, -as, -a…: je partirai) for plans, predictions and promises. The futur antérieur (j'aurai fini) describes an action completed before another future one. After quand, French uses the future, not the present as in English.

The **French future tense** is easier than it looks, because it works much like English. There is a "near" future (*I'm going to leave*), a simple future (*I will leave*) and a compound future (*I will have left*). The main difference lies in one rule that English speakers forget all the time: after *quand* (when), French uses the future.

## When do you use the futur proche?

The **futur proche** is formed with the verb *aller* in the present tense plus an infinitive, exactly like "going to" in English: *je vais manger*, *nous allons partir*. It is used for:

- **An immediate or very near action**: *Attention, tu vas tomber !* (Careful, you're going to fall!)
- **A decided plan**: *L'année prochaine, je vais apprendre l'italien.* (Next year, I'm going to learn Italian.)
- **Spoken French in general**: in conversation, the futur proche is far more common than the futur simple.

**The futur proche**

| Person | Futur proche of *partir* |
| --- | --- |
| je | vais partir |
| tu | vas partir |
| il / elle | va partir |
| nous | allons partir |
| vous | allez partir |
| ils / elles | vont partir |

## When do you use the futur simple?

The **futur simple** expresses plans, predictions, promises and more distant or formal future events, much like "will": *Demain, il fera beau. Je t'appellerai ce soir. En 2030, nous habiterons à Lyon.* (Tomorrow the weather will be nice. I'll call you tonight. In 2030, we will live in Lyon.)

Unlike English, French has no separate word for "will": the future is a single verb form. It is built from the **infinitive** + the endings **-ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont** (verbs in *-re* drop the *e*): *je parlerai, tu finiras, il prendra, nous mangerons, vous direz, ils partiront*.

## The most common irregular futures

**Irregular futures**

| Verb | Future | Verb | Future |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| être | je serai | venir | je viendrai |
| avoir | j'aurai | voir | je verrai |
| aller | j'irai | pouvoir | je pourrai |
| faire | je ferai | vouloir | je voudrai |
| savoir | je saurai | devoir | je devrai |
| falloir | il faudra | envoyer | j'enverrai |

The stem is irregular, but the endings never change. If you find them hard to memorise, you'll find more examples in [French irregular verbs](https://laclassefrancaise.es/en/blog/french-irregular-verbs).

## What is the futur antérieur?

The **futur antérieur** describes an action that will be finished before another future moment, like "I will have finished". It is formed with *avoir* or *être* in the future plus the past participle: *j'aurai fini*, *elle sera partie*.

*Quand tu arriveras, j'aurai déjà dîné.* (When you arrive, I will already have had dinner.)

## The "quand" rule English speakers forget

In English we say "when I **arrive**" (present tense) even though the action is in the future. In French, if the action is in the future, you use the **future** after *quand*, *lorsque*, *dès que* or *aussitôt que*:

- "When I grow up, I'll be a doctor" → ✓ ***Quand je serai*** grand, je serai médecin.
- "As soon as you arrive, call me" → ✓ ***Dès que tu arriveras***, appelle-moi.

✗ *Quand je suis grand…* is a very common mistake for English speakers. You'll find other cases where French grammar does not follow English logic in [the French subjunctive](https://laclassefrancaise.es/en/blog/french-subjunctive).

> **But never the future after "si"** — After a conditional *si* (if), French uses the present, just like English: *Si tu viens, je serai content.* (If you come, I'll be happy.) ✗ *Si tu viendras…*

## Futur proche or futur simple?

In many cases both are possible. As a practical rule:

- **When speaking**, use the futur proche for what is near or decided: *Ce soir, je vais voir un film.*
- **In writing** or in a formal register, prefer the futur simple: *Nous vous contacterons dans les meilleurs délais.*
- For **promises and predictions**, use the futur simple: *Je ne recommencerai plus. Il pleuvra demain.*

In the DELF, being able to alternate between the two and using the futur simple in a formal letter is a good sign of your level. To conjugate any verb in the future, you can use [Le Figaro's conjugation tool](https://leconjugueur.lefigaro.fr/).

## Frequently asked questions

### How do you form the futur simple in French?

Infinitive + *-ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont*: *je parlerai, tu finiras*. Verbs ending in *-re* drop the final *e*: *je prendrai*.

### Is the future of "aller" "j'allerai"?

No, it is irregular: *j'irai, tu iras, il ira, nous irons, vous irez, ils iront*.

### Do you use the future after "quand"?

Yes, when the action is in the future: *Quand j'aurai le temps, je lirai ce livre.* (When I have time, I'll read this book.)

### How do you pronounce the difference between "je parlerai" and "je parlerais"?

In careful pronunciation, the future ends in a closed "é" sound and the conditional in an open "è". Many French people no longer distinguish them when speaking, but in writing the difference is essential.

— Thierry Gustin, Profesor nativo de francés · November 7, 2026