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French Future Tense Overview

Jul 4, 2025

Overview

This lecture introduces how to form and use the Futur Simple (simple future tense) in French, including regular and irregular verb forms.

Formation of Futur Simple

  • To form the Futur Simple, start with the infinitive of the verb as the stem.
  • For -re verbs, drop the final "e" before adding endings.
  • Regular endings for all groups: -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont.

Example: Emily Passera

  • Example given: "Emily passera" (Emily will pass), illustrating subject-verb agreement in the future tense.

Verb Stems and Endings

  • Most verbs use the full infinitive as the stem, except -re verbs (drop "e").
  • Add the future endings to this stem for all subjects.

More Examples of Stems

  • Regular verbs like "parler" (to speak) → "je parlerai" (I will speak).
  • "Finir" (to finish) → "nous finirons" (we will finish).

Tricks for Irregular Verbs

  • Some verbs have irregular future stems, e.g. "avoir" → "aur-", "ĂŞtre" → "ser-", "faire" → "fer-".
  • Learn the main irregular stems as they do not follow the regular pattern.

Key Terms & Definitions

  • Futur Simple — French tense used for expressing actions that will happen in the future.
  • Stem — The verb base used before adding endings, usually the infinitive.
  • Irregular Verbs — Verbs that do not use the infinitive as the stem for the future tense.

Action Items / Next Steps

  • Practice forming the Futur Simple with regular and irregular verbs.
  • Memorize key irregular future stems (e.g., avoir, ĂŞtre, faire).
  • Complete related exercises or homework as assigned.