French has two future tenses -- the futur proche and the futur simple. The futur proche is formed with the auxiliary aller which is followed by an infinitive (Je vais partir. 'I'm going to leave').
The futur simple doesn't have an auxiliary. Instead, the infinitive form becomes the stem to which future endings are added (Je partirai. 'I will leave'). For more details on the formation of these two future tenses, including irregular forms,
The endings for the simple future are: -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont. The future stem for -er and -ir verbs is the infinitive. For regular -re verbs, the stem is the infinitive minus the final e. In all cases, the future stem ends in -r: this sound characterizes the future and the conditional.The French simple future tense is generally translated into English with the modal auxiliary 'will.'
Listen carefully to the future conjugation of regular -er verbs, where the e of the infinitive changes in pronunciation.
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Some -er verbs with spelling changes in the present form their future regularly, that is, their future stem is the infinitive. These include verbs like préférer (je préférerai), manger (je mangerai) and commencer (je commencerai). Other -er verbs with spelling changes in the present (appeler, employer, acheter) have irregular future stems.
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Many verbs which are irregular in the present tense have regular formations in the future. Their future stems are the infinitive or the infinitive minus the final e.
Such verbs include
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boire (je boirai),
dire (je dirai),
écrire (j'écrirai),
lire (je lirai),
mettre (je mettrai),
prendre (je prendrai),
and suivre (je suivrai).
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Tammy imagine sa lune de miel avec Tex. Tammy imagines her honeymoon with Tex.
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Tammy: Nous prendrons le Concorde à Paris, bien sûr. On restera dans un hôtel trois étoiles et nous mangerons dans des restaurants chics. Nous flânerons au long des Champs-Elysées bras dessus, bras dessous et tu m'offriras du parfum et des fleurs. La nuit nous descendrons la Seine en bateau mouche. Ah, la vie conjugale, un paradis terrestre.
Tammy: We will take the Concorde to Paris, of course. We will stay in a three-star hotel and we will eat in chic restaurants. We will stroll along the Champs-Elysées arm in arm and you will give me perfume and flowers. At night we will go down the Seine on a sightseeing boat. Ah, married life, paradise on earth.
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The irregular Verbs
Future stems of verbs with spelling changes
Verbs with spelling changes like appeler, employer, and acheter add -r to the present tense je form to create their future stems: