B2 · The future
The future that is already over
«Will have finished» — and «when I have finished» too.
J'aurai fini avant midi is «I will have finished before midday»: the action is in the future and already complete there. English builds it the same way and uses it in the same places.
It is the future of the auxiliary plus the participle: j'aurai mangé, je serai parti. Auxiliary and agreement follow the rules from the passé composé.
Its commonest home is the clause with quand or dès que, and that is where English parts company. English says «when I have finished, I will call you» — a present perfect — and French says quand j'aurai fini, a future perfect. Two clauses, and English shifts one of them back while French leaves both ahead.
It also does what the futur simple does for a guess, only about the past: il aura oublié — «he will have forgotten», which English says in exactly those words.
Die Form
| I will have finished | j’aurai fini |
| you will have left | tu seras parti |
| we will have eaten | nous aurons mangé |
| she will have arrived | elle sera arrivée |
| when I have finished | quand j’aurai fini |
| he will have forgotten | il aura oublié |
Die Regeln im Einzelnen
Future of the auxiliary plus the participle.
J’aurai fini avant midi.I will have finished before midday.
In a subordinate clause it names the earlier thing.
Quand tu auras lu le texte, dis-moi.When you have read the text, tell me.
With être the participle agrees.
Elle sera déjà partie à cette heure-là.She will already have left by then.
It also guesses about the past.
Il n’est pas là — il aura oublié.He is not here — he will have forgotten.
Woran man es erkennt
- aurai
- auras
- serai
- sera
- quand j’aurai
Beispielsätze
Dans un mois, nous aurons terminé les travaux.In a month we will have finished the work.
Dès que tu auras reçu la lettre, appelle-moi.As soon as you have received the letter, call me.
Elle sera rentrée avant la nuit.She will be back before nightfall.
Ils n’ont pas répondu — ils n’auront pas vu le message.They have not answered — they will not have seen the message.
Die typisch deutsche Falle
Aufgepasst
In a clause with quand, the earlier thing goes in the futur antérieur and the later one in the futur simple — never both in the same tense. Quand je finirai, je t'appellerai says the two happen together; quand j'aurai fini says one finishes first, which is almost always what is meant. English «when I finish» hides the difference entirely.
English «when I have finished» is French quand j’aurai fini.
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