French Futur Antérieur Tense

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Le Futur AntérieurFrench Future Perfect Tense

This is a tense that you can use to talk about something that will have happened at some point in the future.  The action will have had a beginning and  an ending.  This tense is called the future perfect in English. 

What does the futur antérieur look like, and how is it formed?

Follow the exact same rules as for the passé composé.  This tense is composed of a helping verb and a past participle.  

Most of the time avoir is used as helping verb

Rather than using the helping verb in the present tense, as you do when forming the passé composé, you need to now use it in the futur simple

Avoir in the futur simple tense:

j’aurainous aurons
tu aurasvous aurez
il  – elle – on aurails – elles auront

Example – REGARDER Use avoir as a helping verb. 

J’aurai regardé
I will have watched
Tu auras regardé
You will have watched
Il – Elle – On aura regardé
He – She – We will have watched
Nous aurons regardé
We will have watched
Vous aurez regardé
You will have watched
Ils auront regardé
They will have watched

Sometimes être is used as helping verb

Rather than using the helping verb in the present tense, as you do when forming  the passé composé, you need to now use it in the futur simple

Être in the futur simple tense:

je serainous serons
tu serasvous serez
il – elle – on serails – elles seront

Example – ARRIVER – Follow this pattern with all verbs that use être as a helping verb.

Je serai arrivé(e)
I will have arrived
Tu seras arrivé(e)
You will have arrived
Il  – Elle – On sera arrivé(e)
He – She – We will have arrived
Nous serons arrivé(e)s
We will have arrived
Vous serez arrivé(e)(s)
You will have arrived
Ils – Elles seront arrivé(e)s
They will have arrived

Example – SE COUCHER – Follow this pattern with all reflexive verbs

Je me serai couché(e)
I will have gone to bed
Tu te seras couché(e)
You will have gone to bed
Il  – Elle – On se sera couché(e)
He – She – We will have gone to bed
Nous nous serons couché(e)s
We will have gone to bed
Vous vous serez couché(e)(s)
You will have gone to bed
Ils – Elles se seront couché(e)s
They will have gone to bed

Examples in context using avoir as helping verb

J’aurai pris mon temps en apprenant cette leçon.
I will have taken my time learning this lesson. 
Tu auras lu tous les romans de cet écrivain. 
You will have read all of this writer’s novels. 
Elle aura bien suivi le mode d’emploi. 
She will have followed the user’s manual. 
Nous aurons appris à parler français.
We will have learned to speak French. 
Vous aurez mis la table?
Will you have set the table?
Ils auront répondu à toutes les questions.
They will have responded to all of the questions. 

Examples in context using être as helping verb

Je serai rentré(e) avant minuit.
I will have come home before midnight. 
Tu te seras déjà lavé / brossé les dents.  
You will already have brushed your teeth. 
Il sera déjà parti quand tu arriveras.
He will have already left when you (will) arrive. 
Nous nous serons déjà endormi(e)s.
We will have already fallen asleep. 
Vous serez déjà venu(e)(s) chez nous.
You will have already come to our house. 
Ils se seront déjà garé(s).
They will have already parked. 

Examples using negation and pronouns

Je n’aurai pas appris ma leçon avant demain.
I will not have learned my lesson by tomorrow.

Je ne l’aurai pas apprise avant demain.
I will not have learned it by tomorrow. 
Tu ne seras jamais arrivé(e) au bureau à l’heure.
You will never have arrived at the office on time.

Tu n’y seras jamais arrivé(e) à l’heure.
You will never have arrived (there) on time. 
Elle n’aura eu qu’un enfant.
She will only have had one child. 

Elle n’en aura eu qu’un.
She will only have had one.
Nous ne nous serons pas vu(e)s au concert.
We will not have seen each other at the concert. 

Nous ne nous y serons pas vu(e)s.
We will not have seen each other (there). 
Vous n’aurez pas encore acheté les tomates.
You will not have bought the tomatoes yet.

Vous ne les aurez pas encore achetées.
You will not have bought them yet. 
Ils ne seront jamais allés à Paris.
They will never have gone to Paris. 

Ils n’y seront jamais allés.
They will never have been there.

Use the futur antérieur or the futur simple after the following conjunctions when referring to the future:

QUANDWHEN
LORSQUEWHEN
AUSSITÔT QUE AS SOON AS
DÈS QUEAS SOON AS
APRÈS QUEAFTER
UNE FOIS QUEONCE
QUAND
Quand tu auras fini de ranger ta chambre, tu pourras partir.
When you have finished cleaning up your room, you can leave. 
LORSQUE
Lorsque vous vous serez lavé les cheveux, il faudra les sécher.
When you have washed your hair, you have to dry it. 
AUSSITÔT QUE
Elle m’appellera aussitôt qu’elle sera arrivée.
She will call me as soon as she has arrived.  
DÈS QUE
Dès que j’aurai coupé les patates, je ferai les frites.
As soon as I have cut the potatoes, I will make the fries.
APRÈS QUE
Après que je lui aurai parlé, je te raconterai tout.
After I have talked to her / him, I will tell you everything. 
UNE FOIS QUE
Une fois que nos copains seront partis, on fera la vaisselle. 
Once our friends have left, we will do the dishes. 

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