How to Form the Simple Future Tense in French

The French simple future tense (le futur simple) is used to express actions or states that will occur in the future. It's straightforward to form and essential for discussing plans, predictions, and future events.

Forming the Simple Future

To form the simple future tense for most verbs:

1. Take the infinitive form of the verb
2. For -er and -ir verbs, keep the entire infinitive
3. For -re verbs, remove the final 'e'
4. Add the appropriate ending: -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont

Regular Verb Examples

• Parler (to speak): Je parlerai, tu parleras, il/elle parlera, nous parlerons, vous parlerez, ils/elles parleront

• Finir (to finish): Je finirai, tu finiras, il/elle finira, nous finirons, vous finirez, ils/elles finiront

• Vendre (to sell): Je vendrai, tu vendras, il/elle vendra, nous vendrons, vous vendrez, ils/elles vendront

Common Irregular Verbs

Some common verbs have irregular stems in the future tense:

• Être (to be): ser-
• Avoir (to have): aur-
• Aller (to go): ir-
• Faire (to do/make): fer-
• Venir (to come): viendr-

Example: Je serai, tu auras, il ira, nous ferons, vous viendrez

Usage

The simple future is used to:

1. Express future actions or states: "Demain, j'irai au cinéma." (Tomorrow, I will go to the cinema.)

2. Make predictions: "Il pleuvra ce week-end." (It will rain this weekend.)

3. Express promises or intentions: "Je t'appellerai dès que j'arrive." (I'll call you as soon as I arrive.)

Remember, the simple future in French often corresponds to "will + verb" in English. With practice, you'll find it's an essential and frequently used tense in everyday French conversation.