In short

The futur simple is French’s main future tense (English “will…”). For almost every verb, take the infinitive as the stem and add one set of endings - -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont - the same for all three verb groups.

The rule

The futur simple is a one-word tense (no helper verb). The magic is that the stem always ends in -r, and the endings are the present tense of avoir squeezed on: j’ai, tu as, il a… -> -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont.

Build the stem from the infinitive:

• -er verbs: keep the whole infinitive -> parler -> parler- -> je parlerai (I will speak).
• -ir verbs: keep the whole infinitive -> finir -> finir- -> tu finiras (you will finish).
• -re verbs: drop the final -e -> prendre -> prendr- -> elle prendra (she will take).

Then add the endings to everyone: -ai / -as / -a / -ons / -ez / -ont. Notice all six forms keep the -r of the stem, which is what makes the tense sound like the future.

Irregular stems

A handful of common verbs use a special stem, but they take the exact same endings. You must memorise the stem; the endings never change.

• aller -> ir- : j’irai (I will go)
• être -> ser- : tu seras (you will be)
• avoir -> aur- : il aura (he will have)
• faire -> fer- : nous ferons (we will do/make)

Other high-frequency irregular stems worth learning now: venir -> viendr-, voir -> verr-, pouvoir -> pourr-, vouloir -> voudr-, devoir -> devr-, savoir -> saur-, envoyer -> enverr-, falloir -> il faudra.

Spelling-change -er verbs adjust their stem too: acheter -> achèter- (j’achèterai), appeler -> appeller- (j’appellerai), payer -> paier- / payer-. The accent or doubled consonant appears in every person, unlike the present tense.

Futur simple vs futur proche

Both talk about the future, and in speech they often overlap. The practical split:

• Futur proche (aller + infinitive, Lesson 16): near, planned, or certain events, and conversational speech. Je vais partir demain. (I’m going to leave tomorrow.)
• Futur simple: more distant, formal, hypothetical, or “official” statements - schedules, predictions, promises, and after si + present in the main clause. Un jour, je partirai vivre au Canada. (One day I will go and live in Canada.)

Rule of thumb: futur proche = “going to” (immediate intention); futur simple = “will” (prediction, promise, timetable). Both are correct; the futur simple is more common in writing.

Forms & patterns

Regular stems + shared endings:

The four core irregular stems (same endings):

More irregular stems to recognise:

Examples

Common mistakes

• j’acheterai -> j’achèterai - a spelling-change -er verb keeps its accent or doubled consonant in every future form.
• j’allerai -> j’irai - aller has the irregular stem ir-, never aller-.
• je aurai -> j’aurai - avoir elides (j’aurai), être does not (je serai).
• nous prenderons -> nous prendrons - -re verbs drop only the final -e, keep no extra.
• quand je suis grand, je serai… -> quand je serai grand, je serai… - after quand about the future, French uses the futur simple in both clauses, unlike English.
• si j’aurai le temps -> si j’ai le temps - never use the futur simple after si (condition); keep the present there.

Tips

• The stem always ends in -r: if your future form has no -r before the ending, it is wrong.
• Endings = present of avoir (-ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont); learn them once and they work for every verb.
• Only the stem can be irregular; the endings are 100% regular, always.
• After quand, lorsque, dès que, aussitôt que referring to the future, use the futur simple (English uses the present here).
• After si meaning “if” (a condition), use the present, never the future: Si tu viens, je serai content.
• In conversation, reach for futur proche for near plans; save the futur simple for predictions, promises, and writing.