How is the simple future tense formed in French?

This tense in French describes events or things that will happen in the future. Though there is a near future tense, this is used when actions are generally closer to happening now. The future tense is formed using the infinitive of the verb, and adding an ending. For -er and -ir verbs this is simple, but for -re verbs the final 'e' on the infinitive of the verb must be removed first. These endings are:Je -ai Tu -as Il/elle -a Nous -ons Vous -ez Illes/Elles -ont. As with most tenses and grammar rules in French, there are exceptions. This can be seen in the stem of the verb. For most verbs the endings are added on to the infinitive of the verb, but for some of the most commonly used verbs, there is a different stem. Some of these include: être - 'ser' avoir - 'aur' aller - 'ir' faire - 'fer 'pouvoir - 'pourr' devoir - 'devr' vouloir - voudr'.

EL
Answered by Emily L. French tutor

2744 Views

See similar French GCSE tutors

Related French GCSE answers

All answers ▸

What is the difference between the "passé composé" and "imparfait" tenses?


When should you use the imperfect and when the "passé composé" while narrating an episode in the past?


Il y a un centre commercial dans ma ville. Le samedi j’aime faire les magasins avec ma copine. Récemment j’ai acheté un nouveau portable. C’était trop cher. Je ne sais pas si on va sortir la semaine prochaine. Translate this extract.


What is the difference between the usage of the imperfect an the present perfect ?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning