Quand tu arriveras, j'aurai déjà mangé.
English: When you arrive, I will have already eaten.
- Language
- French
- Level
- B2
- Unit
- Discours indirect et temps du passé
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
The futur antérieur in French is a verb tense used to talk about an action that will have been completed before another action or moment in the future.
When to use it
Use the futur antérieur to describe an action that will be finished before a specific time or another action in the future. It is often used with time expressions like 'quand', 'lorsque', or 'dès que'.
Key forms
- Futur simple of 'avoir' or 'être' + past participle of the main verb
- Example: j'aurai fini, tu seras parti
Examples
Nous serons partis avant midi.
English: We will have left before noon.
Elle aura terminé ses devoirs quand ses amis viendront.
English: She will have finished her homework when her friends come.
Dès que tu auras compris, tu pourras commencer.
English: As soon as you have understood, you can start.
Tips
- Remember to use 'avoir' or 'être' in the futur simple as the auxiliary verb.
- Use the past participle just like in the passé composé.
- Choose 'être' for verbs that use 'être' in the passé composé (like 'aller', 'venir', 'partir').
Exceptions and edge cases
- Some verbs use 'être' as the auxiliary, and the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject.
- Irregular past participles and irregular futur simple forms follow the same rules as in other tenses.