Using French Verb Tenses in the Indicative Mood: Future and Conditional Tenses
The action takes place in the future. There may or may not be temporal limits to the action. Multiple actions can be simultaneous or successive, depending on the context.
Il arrivera demain. – He will arrive tomorrow.
Jacques ne sera pas au bureau pour une longueur indéterminée. – Jacques won’t be at the office for an indeterminate amount of time.
Élaine chantera et dansera pendant son spectacle. – Élaine will sing and dance during her show.
Nous visiterons le Louvre et ensuite nous irons à la tour Eiffel. – We will visit the Louvre and then we will go to the Eiffel tower.
The statement expresses a probability. The verb most commonly used is être.
Les fractions seront sûrement à l’examen. – Fractions will surely be in the test.
Olivier sera probablement le premier à arriver. – Olivier will probably be the first to arrive.
The statement is an order or a request.
Vous m’enverrez vos disponibilités avant lundi. – You will send me your availabilities before Monday.
Tu lui en parleras. – You will speak to him about it.
A past action is made to seem like it will be happening in the future (future historique).
Samuel de Champlain fondera Québec en 1608. – Samuel de Champlain will establish Quebec in 1608.
NOTE: While both the présent and future simple can be used to express the near future, they have different connotations. Using the present implies that the action was planned, while the use of the future simple implies that it was not.
Je prends le prochain autobus pour m’y rendre. – Je prendrai le prochain autobus pour m’y rendre.
The action will be completed in the future.
J’aurai rempli le formulaire demain. – I will have completed the form tomorrow.
Tu auras lu tous tes livres à la fin de l’été. – You will have read all your books by the end of the summer.
The action takes place before an action presented in the future simple.
Dès que Julien sera arrivé, nous commencerons le projet. – As soon as Julian will have arrived, we will start the project.
The statement expresses a probability.
Vivianne est encore en retard; elle se sera sans doute endormie. – Vivianne is late again; she will surely have fallen asleep.
The action is hypothetical. It is accompanied by the imparfait. The action can take place in the present or future.
Si tu avais 18 ans, tu pourrais aller au bar. – If you were 18 years old, you could go to the bar.
Si l’équipe gagnait le tournoi, leur entraîneur leur achèterait des crèmes glacées. – If the team won the tournament, their coach would buy them ice cream.
A request or advice is being presented, typically in a roundabout way.
Je voudrais savoir si vous aviez reçu mon courriel. – I would like to know if you recieved my email.
Il faudrait tout traduire. – We would have to translate everything.
The statement presents an opinion emitted by someone else. The use of the conditionnel présent expresses reserve on the validity of the information.
La chanson serait très populaire au Japon. – The song would [appear to] be very popular in Japan.
La nouvelle loi aurait un effet positif dans la communauté. – The new law would [appear to] have a positive effect in the community.
The action takes place in the future when perceived from the past.
Charles se demandait s’il aurait une bonne note. – Charles wondered if he would get a good grade.
Anne pensait qu’elle ne se marierait jamais. – Anne thought she would never get married.
The action is hypothetical. It is accompanied by the passé antérieur.
Si tu étais venue, nous nous serions amusés plus. – If you had come, we would have had more fun.
NOTE: The conditionnel passé has the same functions as the conditionnel présent but confers the idea of hypothetical completion to the action or statement in the question.
Les chercheurs auraient trouvé un remède à cette maladie. – The researchers would [seem to] have found a cure for this disease.
Robert avait cru qu’il n’aurait jamais reçu une réponse de cette compagnie. – Robert had believed he would never have received an answer from that company.
J’aurais voulu connaître votre opinion sur le sujet. – I would have liked to know your opinion on the subject.
