English → French
0 0
Back to the path

Guidebook · Unit 14 · B1

Plans and Travel

The simple future, days and months

  1. 1

    Je partirai: the simple future

    The one-word French future — infinitive plus endings — and when to use it instead of aller + infinitive.

    • The futur simple is one word: infinitive + -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont.
    • -re verbs drop their final e: prendre → je prendrai.
    • The endings echo avoir: j'ai → je parlerai, nous avons → nous parlerons.
    • Aller + infinitive is the everyday spoken future; the futur simple suits plans further off, promises and timetables.
    • Negative: Je ne partirai pas.
    Open lesson
  2. 2

    Je serai, j'irai, il y aura: irregular futures

    A dozen everyday verbs with a special future stem — and the friends' train journey to Provence.

    • Irregular futures keep the regular endings but change the stem: ser-, aur-, ir-, fer-, viendr-, pourr-, voudr-, verr-, devr-, saur-.
    • Il y aura — there will be; il faudra — we'll have to; il fera beau — the weather will be nice.
    • Every future stem ends in -r.
    • Future time words: demain, la semaine prochaine, l'année prochaine, dans trois jours, bientôt.
    • In conversation, on often means we: on sera, on ira.
    Open lesson
  3. 3

    Lundi, juillet, l'été: days, months and seasons

    The French calendar — lower-case days and months, dates, seasons, and the rhythm of the French year.

    • Days and months are written in lower case: lundi, juillet.
    • Lundi is one Monday; le lundi is every Monday.
    • En juillet — in July. Dates are le + number: le 14 juillet, but le premier mai.
    • Seasons: au printemps, en été, en automne, en hiver.
    • Key dates: le 1er mai, la fête de la musique on 21 June, le 14 juillet, la rentrée in September.
    Open lesson
  4. 4

    Quand tu viendras: the future after quand

    French uses the future after quand where English uses the present — and a midsummer night of music in Paris.

    • After quand, lorsque and dès que, French uses the future when the action is still to come: Quand tu viendras, …
    • English uses the present there — when you come — so it's an easy one to miss.
    • A general truth or habit stays in the present: Quand il fait beau, je marche.
    • Venir → je viendrai; appeler → j'appellerai; acheter → j'achèterai.
    • La fête de la musique, every 21 June: free music in the streets all night.
    Open lesson
Unit review