French simple future: endings and irregular stems
Vocalyra teaching team · Last updated:
The French simple future expresses what will happen later. Its endings are predictable, but you must know which stem to attach them to.
Build the regular future
For most -er and -ir verbs, keep the infinitive and add -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont: je parlerai, tu parleras, il parlera, nous parlerons, vous parlerez, ils parleront. With -re verbs, remove the final e first: vendre becomes je vendrai. These endings resemble present-tense forms of avoir in spelling, but they belong to the future verb itself. Pronunciation matters: je parlerai and je parlerais are often distinguished by regional vowel patterns, but relying on that alone is risky. Write the full subject and verb while you practise.
Irregular stems worth learning first
Some of the most common verbs change stem while keeping the same six endings. Être gives je serai; avoir gives j'aurai; aller gives j'irai; faire gives je ferai; venir gives je viendrai; pouvoir gives je pourrai. The irregularity is in the stem, not the ending. Compare nous serons and nous parlerons: both end in -ons. A useful strategy is to memorize short future phrases rather than isolated stems: demain j'irai au bureau, la semaine prochaine nous aurons le temps. These examples connect the verb to a realistic future time.
Will, going to, and the French near future
English will often corresponds to the French simple future: I will call tomorrow becomes J'appellerai demain. But English going to can map naturally to aller + infinitive: I'm going to call becomes Je vais appeler. French speakers can also use the present for a scheduled future: Je pars lundi. The simple future often sounds more neutral or formal than the near future, though usage varies by region and context. Do not assume that every English will requires a French future form; meaning and register matter more than word-for-word conversion.
A five-minute future plan
Choose three upcoming events: a meeting, a trip, and a personal goal. Write one sentence with a regular -er verb, one with a regular -re verb, and one with an irregular stem. Say each aloud and underline the stem in one color and the ending in another. Then rewrite one sentence with aller + infinitive and compare the tone. This practice builds both conjugation and choice of tense. If you make an error, identify whether the problem was the stem or the ending before trying again.
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| je parlerai | I will speak |
| nous vendrons | we will sell |
| tu seras | you will be |
| ils iront | they will go |
See all six endings in one verb
The six future endings are -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez and -ont. Conjugate parler as je parlerai, tu parleras, il ou elle parlera, nous parlerons, vous parlerez, ils ou elles parleront. Now switch to finir without changing the endings: je finirai, tu finiras, il finira, nous finirons, vous finirez, ils finiront. With vendre, drop the final -e before adding the endings, so you get je vendrai and vous vendrez. These patterns apply to a broad class of verbs, not just the three examples.
Distinguish future from conditional in writing
A French future such as je parlerai differs in spelling from the present conditional je parlerais. The final -s is a real grammatical distinction even where speakers pronounce the vowels similarly. Compare Demain, je parlerai à mon directeur (tomorrow I will speak to my manager) with Si j’avais le temps, je parlerais davantage (if I had time, I would speak more). The conditional uses future stems but imperfect endings. When you write, check the meaning before deciding whether to add the -s.
Quick self-check
Complete: je (parler) ___ demain.
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parlerai
Complete: nous (vendre) ___ lundi.
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vendrons
Future stem of être?
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ser-
Translate: They will go.
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Ils iront.
Which is the near future: je vais appeler or j’appellerai?
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je vais appeler
Complete: vous (finir) ___ avant midi.
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finirez
Change to the simple future: Nous avons du temps.
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Nous aurons du temps.
Choose the simple future: je parlerai or je parlerais.
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je parlerai