# Simple Future: je parlerai

https://langs123.com/en/french/futur-imperatif/futur-simple/
CEFR A2 · 2026-10-24 · CC BY 4.0, langs123 contributors (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

> The futur simple adds **-ai**, **-as**, **-a**, **-ons**, **-ez**, **-ont** to the infinitive for predictions and promises. The endings join the whole infinitive, minus the **e** of **-re** verbs: Je **parlerai** avec elle. Nous **prendrons** le train.

## Summary

| Point | Rule | Example |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Form | the infinitive + **-ai** / **-as** / **-a** / **-ons** / **-ez** / **-ont** | Je **parlerai** demain. | I'll speak tomorrow. |
| Form | **-re** verbs lose their **e** | Nous **prendrons** le train. | We'll take the train. |
| Irregular stems | **être** **ser-**, **avoir** **aur-**, **aller** **ir-**, **faire** **fer-** | J’**irai** à Paris. | I'll go to Paris. |
| Irregular stems | **pouvoir** **pourr-**, **vouloir** **voudr-**, **venir** **viendr-**, **voir** **verr-** | Il **viendra** samedi. | He'll come on Saturday. |
| Use | a prediction, a promise | Demain, il **fera** beau. | Tomorrow the weather will be fine. |
| Use | the more distant future, a written text | Un jour, j’**habiterai** à Paris. | One day I'll live in Paris. |
| Condition | **si** + present, then the future | Si tu viens, je **serai** content. | If you come, I'll be happy. |
| Condition | **quand** + future, when the sentence is about the future | Quand j’**arriverai**, je t’appellerai. | When I arrive, I'll call you. |
| Trap | never a future right after **si** | Si je **suis** libre, je viendrai. | If I'm free, I'll come. |
| Trap | **pourr-** takes two **r** | Je **pourrai** venir. | I'll be able to come. |

## Overview

- The futur simple is a single word: the infinitive and an ending. Je **chanterai**. / Ils **finiront** demain. (I'll sing. / They'll finish tomorrow.)
- It serves for predictions, promises and the more distant future. Demain, il **fera** beau. / Je t’**aiderai**. (Tomorrow the weather will be fine. / I'll help you.)
- For a near plan, everyday speech prefers the futur proche: Near Future: je vais manger.
- The present forms of these verbs: Present Tense: Irregular Verbs.

## Form: regular verbs

| Person | parler | finir | prendre |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| je | parler**ai** | finir**ai** | prendr**ai** |
| tu | parler**as** | finir**as** | prendr**as** |
| il / elle / on | parler**a** | finir**a** | prendr**a** |
| nous | parler**ons** | finir**ons** | prendr**ons** |
| vous | parler**ez** | finir**ez** | prendr**ez** |
| ils / elles | parler**ont** | finir**ont** | prendr**ont** |

- Verbs in **-er**, **-ir** and **-re** take the same endings. Tu **aimeras** Lyon. / Vous **choisirez** un plat. (You'll like Lyon. / You'll choose a dish.)
- Verbs in **-re** lose their final **e**. Elle **attendra** ici. / Je **répondrai** demain. (She'll wait here. / I'll answer tomorrow.)
- The **r** before the ending is always heard: **je parlerai** /ʒə paʁləʁe/. Tu **diras** oui. / Il **partira** tôt. (You'll say yes. / He'll leave early.)

## Form: irregular stems

| Verb | Stem | Example |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| être | **ser-** | Demain, je **serai** chez moi. | Tomorrow I'll be at home. |
| avoir | **aur-** | Nous **aurons** du temps. | We'll have time. |
| aller | **ir-** | Un jour, j’**irai** à Tokyo. | One day I'll go to Tokyo. |
| faire | **fer-** | Qu’est-ce que tu **feras** demain ? | What will you do tomorrow? |
| pouvoir | **pourr-** | Je ne **pourrai** pas venir. | I won't be able to come. |
| vouloir | **voudr-** | Elle **voudra** un café. | She'll want a coffee. |
| venir | **viendr-** | Mes amis **viendront** samedi. | My friends will come on Saturday. |
| voir | **verr-** | On **verra** demain. | We'll see tomorrow. |
| savoir | **saur-** | Tu **sauras** la réponse demain. | You'll know the answer tomorrow. |
| devoir | **devr-** | Nous **devrons** partir tôt. | We'll have to leave early. |
| falloir | **faudr-** | Demain, il **faudra** se lever tôt. | Tomorrow we'll have to get up early. |
| pleuvoir | **pleuvr-** | Samedi, il **pleuvra**. | It will rain on Saturday. |

- An irregular stem takes the regular endings, in every person. Vous **serez** là. / Elles **iront** aussi. (You'll be there. / They'll go too.)
- A verb built on an irregular verb keeps its stem: **revenir** → **reviendr-**. Je **reviendrai** lundi. / Il **deviendra** médecin. (I'll come back on Monday. / He'll become a doctor.)

## Spelling: verbs with a change

| Infinitive | Future (je) | Example |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| nettoyer | netto**i**erai | Je **nettoierai** la cuisine. | I'll clean the kitchen. |
| acheter | ach**è**terai | J’**achèterai** du pain. | I'll buy some bread. |
| appeler | appe**ll**erai | Je t’**appellerai** ce soir. | I'll call you tonight. |
| jeter | je**tt**erai | Il **jettera** ce papier. | He'll throw this paper away. |

## Use

| Use | Example |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A prediction | Demain, il **fera** beau. | Tomorrow the weather will be fine. |
| A promise | Je te **téléphonerai** ce soir. | I'll phone you tonight. |
| An announcement | Le train **arrivera** à huit heures. | The train will arrive at eight o'clock. |
| The more distant future | Un jour, j’**habiterai** à Paris. | One day I'll live in Paris. |
| A decision left for later | Je ne sais pas, on **verra**. | I don't know, we'll see. |

## The future with si and quand

- After **si** comes the present; the future is in the other part of the sentence. Si tu viens, je **serai** content. / S’il pleut, nous **resterons** ici. (If you come, I'll be happy. / If it rains, we'll stay here.)
- **Si** contracts before **il** and **ils**: **s’il**, **s’ils**. **S’il** fait beau, nous sortirons. (If the weather is fine, we'll go out.)
- After **quand**, a future fact takes the future, as in the main clause. Quand j’**arriverai**, je t’appellerai. / Quand tu **auras** faim, tu mangeras. (When I arrive, I'll call you. / When you're hungry, you'll eat.)
- The other words that link sentences: Linking Words.

## Typical errors

| ✗ | ✓ |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Je prendrerai le train. | Je **prendrai** le train. | **-re** verbs lose their **e**: **prendr-** |
| J’allerai à Paris. | J’**irai** à Paris. | **aller** has the stem **ir-** in the future |
| Je pourai venir. | Je **pourrai** venir. | **pouvoir** has the stem **pourr-**, with two **r** |
| Si je serai libre, je viendrai. | Si je **suis** libre, je viendrai. | after **si**, the present: the future is in the other part |
| Quand j’arrive, je t’appellerai. | Quand j’**arriverai**, je t’appellerai. | **quand** takes the future for a future fact, unlike English “when I arrive” |