A2 · The future
The present for fixed arrangements
You have three present futures; French has two.
When something is settled — a train, a course, an opening time — it goes in the present, even though it lies ahead: Le train part à huit heures. English does this too: «the train leaves at eight», and nobody says «will leave» while reading a timetable.
Where English has more than French is the next box along. English can also say «the train is leaving at eight» and «we're having dinner with them tomorrow» — the present continuous used for a fixed arrangement, which is the commonest future in spoken English. French has no continuous at all, so both of those come out as the plain present: on dîne chez eux demain.
The difference from the futur proche: that one is an intention or a prediction. The present is a timetable. Je vais partir à huit heures means I mean to; je pars à huit heures means it is fixed.
With a time expression the present also works for your own settled plans: Demain, je travaille. Without one it is simply the present.
Die Form
| the train leaves at eight | le train part à huit heures |
| the course starts on Monday | le cours commence lundi |
| the museum closes at six | le musée ferme à dix-huit heures |
| I am working tomorrow | demain, je travaille |
| we are meeting on Saturday | on se voit samedi |
| the meeting is on Thursday | la réunion a lieu jeudi |
Die Regeln im Einzelnen
Timetables, programmes and opening hours go in the present.
Le vol atterrit à midi.The flight lands at midday.
Your own fixed plans do too, but only with a time word.
Demain, je pars en vacances.Tomorrow I am going on holiday.
Without a time word the present is just the present.
Je pars. / Je pars demain.I am leaving. / I am leaving tomorrow.
The futur proche is the intention, the present is the timetable.
Je vais partir. / Je pars à huit heures.I am going to leave. / I leave at eight.
Woran man es erkennt
- demain
- lundi
- à huit heures
- samedi
Beispielsätze
Le prochain train part dans dix minutes.The next train leaves in ten minutes.
Le magasin ouvre à neuf heures.The shop opens at nine.
Demain, on déjeune ensemble.We are having lunch together tomorrow.
Le film commence à vingt heures trente.The film starts at half past eight.
Die typisch deutsche Falle
Aufgepasst
Putting every future sentence into the futur proche makes a timetable sound like a plan you are still negotiating. Le train va partir à huit heures means it is about to leave, now, this minute. The timetable says le train part — and so does your own fixed arrangement, where English would reach for «we're meeting».
«We’re having dinner tomorrow» has no continuous here.
Jetzt selbst
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