To state a realistic plan in French, choose one of three tools: aller plus an infinitive for a near and certain plan, the futur simple for a plan further off, and si plus the present for a plan that depends on something else.
These forms appear whenever a task asks about weekend plans, holidays, study choices or what you hope to do after school. You will meet them in the study, work and future interests module as well as here in past and future meaning.
How do the future forms work?
Futur proche. Present of aller plus the infinitive: je vais manger, tu vas jouer, il va partir, nous allons voir, vous allez venir, ils vont finir. The infinitive never changes.
Futur simple. Take the infinitive and add -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont. For -re verbs, drop the final e first: prendre gives je prendrai. Examples: je finirai, nous voyagerons, elle prendra.
Irregular stems. The endings stay the same, but the stem changes: être gives ser-, avoir gives aur-, aller gives ir-, faire gives fer-, venir gives viendr-, pouvoir gives pourr-, voir gives verr-, vouloir gives voudr-.
Plan phrases with an infinitive. J’espère visiter…, Je voudrais étudier…, J’ai l’intention de travailler…, Je compte partir…
Conditions. Si plus the present, then the futur simple: Si j’ai le temps, j’irai au cinéma.
Worked example
Task: say what you plan to do after your exams, including one thing that depends on money.
Step 1, list the intentions. Rest for a week. Look for a small job. Travel to France, but only with enough money. Hope to visit Paris.
Step 2, match each one to a form.
- Rest: near and certain, so the futur proche.
- Look for a job: a later step, so the futur simple.
- Travel to France: depends on money, so si plus the present, then the futur simple.
- Visit Paris: a hope, so j’espère plus an infinitive.
Step 3, build the sentences.
Après mes examens, je vais me reposer pendant une semaine. Ensuite, je chercherai un petit travail. Si j’ai assez d’argent, j’irai en France avec ma famille. J’espère visiter Paris.
Step 4, check the details. Se reposer keeps me after je vais. Chercher is regular in the futur simple. Aller uses the irregular stem ir-, so j’irai, not j’allerai.
The mistake to watch for
A frequent error is to put the futur simple on both sides of a si sentence, copying the English “If I will have…”.
Mistaken answer: Si j’aurai assez d’argent, j’irai en France.
The student put the futur simple (aurai) after si.
After si, the verb of the condition stays in the present. Only the result takes the future.
Corrected: Si j’ai assez d’argent, j’irai en France.
A second slip to look for is je vais allé. After vais, the verb is always an infinitive: je vais aller.
Check yourself
1. Rewrite in the futur proche: Ce soir, je fais mes devoirs.
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Present of aller plus the infinitive: Ce soir, je vais faire mes devoirs.
2. Complete in the futur simple: Demain, nous (finir) tôt.
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Add -ons to the infinitive finir: Demain, nous finirons tôt.
3. Complete: S’il (pleuvoir) demain, nous (rester) à la maison.
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After si keep the present, then use the futur simple for the result: S’il pleut demain, nous resterons à la maison.
Where this leads next
Next, combine every tense in revising tense consistency across a short account. If the si clause felt new, glance back at the time-phrase lesson first.
Some students can write a perfect future form but sound hesitant when speaking about their own plans. In online one-to-one French tuition, a teacher can ask you about your real plans and help you answer in French at a natural pace.