Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb commencer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb commencer

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The English translation of the French verb commencer is “to begin” or “to start.” It is pronounced as “koh-mahn-say.”

The language origin of commencer can be traced back to the Latin word “cominitiare,” meaning “to begin.” It entered the French language in the 12th century.

In everyday French, commencer is most often used in the Futur Simple tense to indicate an action that will begin in the future. It is also commonly used to express the idea of “starting over” or “restarting.”

Examples of commencer in the Futur Simple tense:

  1. Je commencerai mes cours de français l’année prochaine. (I will start my French classes next year.)
  2. Nous commencerons le projet demain matin. (We will begin the project tomorrow morning.)
  3. Ils recommenceront leur relation à zéro. (They will start their relationship over from scratch.)

Table of the Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of commencer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je commencerai Je commencerai mes devoirs. I will start my homework.
tu commenceras Tu commenceras ton repas. You will start your meal.
il commencera Il commencera son travail. He will start his work.
elle commencera Elle commencera sa présentation. She will start her presentation.
on commencera On commencera le concert. One/We will start the concert.
nous commencerons Nous commencerons le voyage. We will start the journey.
vous commencerez Vous commencerez l’exercice. You will start the exercise.
ils commenceront Ils commenceront la réunion. They will start the meeting.
elles commenceront Elles commenceront leur journée. They will start their day.

Other Conjugations for Commencer.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb commencer
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb commencer
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb commencer
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb commencer
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb commencer (this article)

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb commencer
   

    Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb commencer
   

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb commencer

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb commencer

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb commencer

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb commencer
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb commencer

    Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb commencer
   

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb commencer
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb commencer

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb commencer

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb commencer

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

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Commencer – About the French Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense

This tense is used to express actions or events that will occur in the future. It’s a relatively straightforward tense to understand and is commonly used in everyday French conversations. 

NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see our article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation of Futur Simple

The futur simple tense is formed by adding specific endings to the infinitive form of the verb. The endings are the same for regular -er, -ir, and -re verbs, with a few exceptions.

For regular -er verbs (e.g., parler – to speak)

Je parlerai (I will speak)
Tu parleras (You will speak)
Il/elle/on parlera (He/she/one will speak)
Nous parlerons (We will speak)
Vous parlerez (You will speak)
Ils/elles parleront (They will speak)

For regular -ir verbs (e.g., finir – to finish)

Je finirai (I will finish)
Tu finiras (You will finish)
Il/elle/on finira (He/she/one will finish)
Nous finirons (We will finish)
Vous finirez (You will finish)
Ils/elles finiront (They will finish)

For regular -re verbs (e.g., vendre – to sell)

Je vendrai (I will sell)
Tu vendras (You will sell)
Il/elle/on vendra (He/she/one will sell)
Nous vendrons (We will sell)
Vous vendrez (You will sell)
Ils/elles vendront (They will sell)

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

Expressing Future Actions: The futur simple is used to talk about actions or events that will take place in the future. It’s similar to the English “will” or “shall.”
Je partirai demain. (I will leave tomorrow.)
Ils mangeront à la maison ce soir. (They will eat at home tonight.)
Polite Requests and Offers: It is commonly used to make polite requests or offers.
Pourriez-vous m’aider, s’il vous plaît ? (Could you help me, please?)
Je vous offrirai un café. (I will offer you a coffee.)

Conditional Statements

The futur simple can be used in conditional statements (si clauses) to express future possibilities.
Si tu viens demain, je t’expliquerai tout. (If you come tomorrow, I will explain everything.)

Interactions with Other Tenses

Futur Antérieur

The futur simple is often used in combination with the futur antérieur (future perfect) to indicate that one action will happen before another in the future. For example, “Quand j’aurai fini (futur antérieur) mes devoirs, je partirai (futur simple) au cinéma” (When I have finished my homework, I will go to the cinema).

Conditional

In conditional sentences, you may see the futur simple used in the main clause while the conditional present is used in the subordinate clause. For example, “Si j’ai le temps (conditional present), je travaillerai (futur simple) sur ce projet” (If I have the time, I will work on this project).

Present

In some cases, the futur simple can be used to express future actions, even though the present tense is also an option. The choice between the two often depends on the context and the degree of certainty or formality.

Summary

It’s worth noting that while the futur simple is commonly used, it’s more common in written French, whereas in spoken French, the futur proche (near future) is often used, formed with the verb “aller” + infinitive (e.g., je vais parler – I am going to speak). 
However, mastering the futur simple is essential for a complete understanding of French verb tenses and will greatly enhance your ability to express future actions and possibilities in the language.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb commencer. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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