What are the differences between Futur Proche and Futur Simple?

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What are the differences between futur proche and futur simple?
In this guide, you’ll find the key rules, common uses, and practical tips to confidently use both tenses in everyday French—and to succeed on your DELF B1 exam or in conversation.

One of the hallmarks of a strong command of French is the ability to talk about the future with precision and nuance. Unlike English, which often uses just “will” or “going to,” French has two primary ways to express future actions: futur proche and futur simple. Both tenses are essential not only for everyday communication but also for achieving higher levels of fluency, particularly for learners preparing for exams like DELF B1.

Mastering the futur proche and futur simple allows students to express intentions, predictions, plans, promises, and assumptions about the future in a more sophisticated and natural way. Using these tenses correctly demonstrates a clear understanding of temporal nuances, which is a key element in B1-level French according to the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages). At this level, learners are expected to communicate with confidence, adapt language to context, and handle future-related topics with clarity.

How is the futur proche used?

The futur proche is used to express actions that are about to happen, or that are planned in the near future. It conveys immediacy, intention, or certainty, making your language more precise. For example, instead of simply saying “I will eat”, saying “Je vais manger” signals that the action is imminent or decided. This ability to differentiate immediacy from general futurity adds depth to your French and makes your speech or writing more natural and authentic.

In the context of DELF B1, the futur proche is frequently used in oral and written tasks, particularly when learners are asked to describe upcoming plans, weekend activities, or personal intentions. Using it correctly demonstrates that the learner can handle everyday situations involving future events, a key requirement at B1 level.

How is the futur simple used?

On the other hand, the futur simple is used for predictions, promises, long-term plans, and more formal or distant future events. Unlike the futur proche, it adds formal elegance to your speech and writing. Using the futur simple correctly shows mastery of French conjugation patterns, including irregular stems, which is a marker of higher competence in the language.

For DELF B1 candidates, the futur simple is expected in contexts such as:

  • Talking about career plans or studies in the coming years
  • Making predictions about society, weather, or personal life
  • Writing letters, emails, or short essays where the formal tone is required

Being able to switch seamlessly between futur proche and futur simple makes your French richer, more accurate, and adaptable to different contexts—a skill highly valued by B1 examiners. If you are preparing for the DELF B1, you might be wondering: What are the usages of futur proche and futur simple? What are the differences between these two future tenses?

What is The Role of Future Tenses in DELF B1?

At the DELF B1 level, students are assessed on their ability to:

  • Communicate clearly in familiar and everyday contexts
  • Express intentions and plans for the near or distant future
  • Write coherent texts describing events, plans, or predictions
  • Speak spontaneously about upcoming activities, career, or travel

Mastery of futur proche and futur simple helps candidates meet these requirements with confidence, ensuring that they can convey precise meaning, adapt language to context, and handle future-related topics smoothly. Without a solid grasp of these tenses, learners may sound vague, overly simplistic, or hesitant—qualities that can limit their score in both oral and written production.

Futur Proche: Talking About the Near Future

How to form the Futur Proche?

How to form the futur proche is a very easy rule: just use the present tense of aller followed by the infinitive of the main verb.

aller (present) + infinitive

Examples:

  • Je vais étudier ce soir. → I’m going to study tonight.
  • Nous allons partir demain. → We are going to leave tomorrow.
  • Ils vont regarder un film ce soir. → They are going to watch a movie tonight.

When to use the Futur Proche?

  • Immediate plans: Je vais téléphoner à mon ami ce soir.
  • Spontaneous decisions: Je vais prendre un café.
  • Certain near events: Attention ! Le train va partir.

Tip: Futur proche is common in everyday conversation.

Futur Simple: Predicting the Future with Confidence

How to Form the futur simple?

How to form the futur simple is straightforward: take the infinitive of the verb and add the future endings. Some verbs, however, have irregular stems you need to memorize!

Infinitive + endings: -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont

Examples:

  • Je mangerai. → I will eat.
  • Nous partirons demain. → We will leave tomorrow.
  • Ils regarderont un film ce soir. → They will watch a movie tonight.

Irregular stems:

  • aller → ir- → j’irai
  • avoir → aur- → tu auras
  • être → ser- → il sera
  • faire → fer- → nous ferons

When to use the futur simple?

  • Predictions: Il fera beau demain.
  • Promises / formal statements: Je vous aiderai.
  • Distant plans: Dans dix ans, j’habiterai à Paris.

Tip: Futur simple is more formal or literary.

Real-Life Examples: How to choose the Right Future Tense?

Planning a weekend:

  • Futur proche: Demain, je vais rencontrer mes amis.
  • Futur simple: Dans deux ans, je vivrai à Londres.

Warnings or advice:

  • Futur proche: Attention, tu vas tomber !
  • Futur simple: Ne t’inquiète pas, tout ira bien.

Promises:

  • Futur proche: Je vais t’aider maintenant.
  • Futur simple: Je t’aiderai demain.

Exercises: Test Your Skills

Exercise 1 – Fill in the blanks

Complete with futur proche or futur simple:

  1. Ce soir, nous _______ (regarder) un film.
  2. Dans cinq ans, elle _______ (être) médecin.
  3. Attention ! Tu _______ (tomber) si tu cours.
  4. Je pense que nous _______ (avoir) du succès dans ce projet.
  5. Je _______ (appeler) mon frère tout de suite.

Answers: 1. allons regarder, 2. sera, 3. vas tomber, 4. aurons, 5. vais appeler

Exercise 2 – Choose the correct future

  1. Demain, je (vais finir / finirai) mes devoirs.
  2. Il (va pleuvoir / pleuvra) demain.
  3. Ce soir, nous (allons manger / mangerons) au restaurant.
  4. Dans dix ans, je (vais habiter / habiterai) à Paris.

Answers: 1. vais finir, 2. pleuvra, 3. allons manger, 4. habiterai

Exercise 3 – Translate into French

  1. I am going to call my friend tomorrow.
  2. She will be a doctor in ten years.
  3. Watch out! You are going to fall.
  4. We will succeed in our project.
  5. He is going to study this evening.

Answers:

  1. Je vais appeler mon ami demain.
  2. Elle sera médecin dans dix ans.
  3. Attention ! Tu vas tomber.
  4. Nous aurons du succès dans notre projet.
  5. Il va étudier ce soir.

You can use this document to review and practise the difference between futur proche and futur simple through a variety of activities.

Here’s a story that mixes futur proche and futur simple, perfect for DELF B1 reading practice:

Story: A Weekend Adventure

Ce week-end, Claire et Julien vont partir en excursion à la montagne. Ils vont prendre le train tôt samedi matin. Claire dit : « Nous allons arriver vers neuf heures et nous ferons une belle randonnée avant le déjeuner. »

Julien répond : « Super ! Après la randonnée, je préparerai le pique-nique. Et le soir, nous regarderons les étoiles et nous ferons un feu de camp. »

Dimanche, ils vont se réveiller tôt pour profiter du lever du soleil. Claire pense : « Je vais prendre beaucoup de photos ! » Julien ajoute : « Moi, je ferai un dessin du paysage. »

Ils savent que le week-end sera fatigant mais amusant. Claire dit : « Nous allons revenir chez nous dimanche soir, mais je suis sûre que ce week-end sera inoubliable ! »

For a closer look, here are some resources to master futur proche and futur simple—perfect for DELF B1 prep:

With a solid grasp of futur proche and futur simple, you can keep practicing these tenses to improve your French and build confidence for the DELF B1 exam. Our French tuition services are here to guide you every step of the way and help you master these important future tenses

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