French Future Tenses: Aller + Infinitive vs Future Simple (With Examples)

French has two very common ways to talk about the future:

1. Near future: je vais + infinitive
2. Future simple: one-word future forms (je parlerai, je ferai…)

English also has multiple future forms (“I’m going to…” vs “I will…”), so the idea isn’t foreign. The key is learning which form French prefers in everyday conversation.

In this guide you’ll learn:

• The practical meaning of each future form
• The easiest way to choose between them
• High-frequency examples you’ll actually use
• Mini practice drills to build speed

Near future: aller + infinitive (the everyday default)

Structure:

Subject + aller (conjugated) + infinitive

Examples:

• Je vais partir. (I’m going to leave.)
• Tu vas apprendre. (You’re going to learn.)
• On va manger. (We’re going to eat.)

This form is extremely common in spoken French because it’s simple and direct.

When to use it

Use aller + infinitive for:

• plans that feel “soon”
• intentions (“I’m going to…”)
• decisions made in the moment

Even if the action isn’t immediate, it often feels like a plan.

Future simple (the “one-word future”)

Examples:

• Je partirai. (I will leave.)
• Nous verrons. (We will see.)
• Il fera beau. (The weather will be nice.)

When to use it

Future simple often appears in:

• more formal speech/writing
• predictions and statements about the future
• “farther” future or less immediate plans

In daily conversation, French speakers still use it a lot—especially in common phrases—but aller + infinitive is usually the easiest starting point.

How to form the future simple (quick, practical)

For many verbs, future simple is:

infinitive + endings: -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont

Example with parler:

• je parlerai
• tu parleras
• il/elle parlera
• nous parlerons
• vous parlerez
• ils/elles parleront

For -re verbs, you usually drop the final e:

• prendre → je prendrai, tu prendras, il prendra

Don’t memorize this perfectly today—just recognize the pattern when you see it.

Common irregular stems (the ones you’ll actually meet)

Some high-frequency verbs use a different “stem” in the future simple:

• être → ser- (je serai)
• avoir → aur- (j’aurai)
• aller → ir- (j’irai)
• faire → fer- (je ferai)
• venir → viendr- (je viendrai)
• pouvoir → pourr- (je pourrai)
• vouloir → voudr- (je voudrai)

These show up constantly in real French, so it’s worth recognizing them early.

A tiny future dialogue (very real-life)

Read this out loud and notice how natural aller + infinitive sounds:

— Tu fais quoi ce soir ?
— Je vais travailler un peu, puis je vais regarder un film.
— Super. Demain, on va se voir ?
— Oui, on se verra.

The mix is normal: near future for plans, future simple for a more “will” statement (on se verra = we’ll see each other).

The fastest decision rule

Ask:

1. Does it feel like a plan/intention (especially soon)? → aller + infinitive
2. Is it a prediction, formal, or a “will” statement? → future simple

Examples:

• Ce soir, je vais regarder un film. (Tonight, I’m going to watch a movie.)
• Un jour, je voyagerai en France. (One day, I will travel to France.)

Both are future, but the vibe is different.

Time expressions that pair naturally

Near future often pairs with:

• ce soir (tonight)
• demain (tomorrow)
• tout à l’heure (soon)
• ce week-end (this weekend)

Future simple often pairs with:

• un jour (one day)
• dans dix ans (in ten years)
• à l’avenir (in the future)

Don’t treat these as hard rules—just helpful tendencies.

High-frequency phrases to steal

Near future:

• Je vais essayer. (I’m going to try.)
• On va voir. (We’ll see. / Let’s see.)
• Ça va marcher. (It’s going to work.)

Future simple:

• Je serai là. (I’ll be there.)
• Tu verras. (You’ll see.)
• Ce sera parfait. (It will be perfect.)

Notice how some future simple forms are just “fixed” in speech.

️ Common mistakes (easy fixes)

Mistake 1: Overusing future simple early

It’s not “wrong,” but beginners often sound more natural using:

• je vais + infinitive

You can communicate a lot with this single pattern.

Mistake 2: Forgetting French loves “on”

Instead of nous allons, spoken French often uses:

• on va… (we’re going to…)

Both are correct; on is just more everyday.

Mini drills (choose the form)

Pick a natural option:

1. “Tomorrow, I’m going to work.” → Demain, je ___ travailler.
2. “One day, I will live in France.” → Un jour, je ___ en France.
3. “We’re going to eat now.” → On ___ manger maintenant.
4. “It will be great.” → Ce ___ génial.

Suggested answers:

1. vais
2. vivrai
3. va
4. sera

One more quiz:

Summary (the one‑minute version)

• Aller + infinitive = everyday “going to” (plans, intentions)
• Future simple = one-word future (predictions, more formal, some fixed phrases)
• If you’re unsure as a beginner, je vais + infinitive is a safe and natural default

Master these two and future talk in French becomes easy.

Quick FAQ

Is je vais + infinitive “less correct” than the future simple?

No. It’s extremely common and completely correct. It’s often the most natural choice for plans and near-future intentions.

Do I always need future simple for “tomorrow” or “next week”?

Not necessarily. You can use either depending on what you mean:

• Demain, je vais travailler. (plan/intention)
• Demain, il fera beau. (prediction)

How do I remember the future simple endings?

They’re the same for most verbs: -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont. If you learn je ferai / tu feras / il fera as a chunk, the pattern becomes much easier to reuse.