B2 · The future
Future perfect (futur antérieur)
«Will have finished» — and «when I have finished» too.
At a glance
- Remember
- English «when I have finished» is French quand j’aurai fini.
- When
- Before the past
- The past
- Past linked to the present
- The present
- The future
- Completed in the future
Completed in the future — What will already be finished by some point in the future.
- Form
- j’aurai finiI will have finished
- Signal words
- aurai
- auras
- serai
- sera
- quand j’aurai
- Trap
- Wrong:Quand je finirai le rapport, je te l’enverrai.Right:Quand j’aurai fini le rapport, je te l’enverrai.
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The form
How the forms are built
Each row gives the meaning first, then the form in French. The colours show what changes from one form to the next.
stem (regular) stem (irregular) tense marker person ending auxiliary verb
| I will have finished | j’aurai fini |
| you will have read | tu auras lu |
| he will have forgotten | il aura oublié |
| we will have eaten | nous aurons mangé |
| you will have understood (plural, polite) | vous aurez compris |
| they will have paid | ils, elles auront payé |
| I will have come back | je serai rentré, rentrée |
| you will have left | tu seras parti |
| she will have arrived | elle sera arrivée |
| we will have gone out | nous serons sortis, sorties |
| you will have come (plural) | vous serez venus, venues |
| they will have stayed | ils seront restés / elles seront restées |
| when I have finished | quand j’aurai fini |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
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.
Example sentences
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.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
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.
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
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.
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The verbs on this page, in every form: avoir · être · dire · voir · répondre · finir · s’appeler · lire