Mission: plan a project with deadlines
Futur antérieur. Say what will be done by when, and what happens once something is finished.
FrenchB2 · Regrets and what-ifsAbout 8 min: 3 reading, 5 practiceUpdated
- Form the futur antérieur with avoir or être and the participle
- Use it after quand, dès que, lorsque, une fois que and aussitôt que
- Give deadlines with d'ici vendredi, j'aurai terminé
- Guess about the past with il aura oublié
Regrets and what-ifs: lesson 4 of 4
- B2 · Regrets and what-ifs
- Mission: talk about a decision you regret 8 min
- Mission: imagine how your life could have gone 8 min
- Mission: thank and reassure a friend after an event 8 min
- Mission: plan a project with deadlines 8 min
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Level Level B2 (around the DELF B2 exam). Real French: planning a project with a team and its deadlines.
What it is
Your mission: you are helping Mathieu organise the village book fair. He asks, « Où en est-on ? » Tell him what will be finished by when (d'ici vendredi, j'aurai terminé), what you'll do once something is done (quand j'aurai fini, je t'appellerai), and make one guess about why someone hasn't answered (il aura oublié). Use tu.
The futur antérieur ("future perfect") says that an action will have been completed by a future point. It is the future of avoir or être plus the past participle:
| Subject | with avoir | with être |
|---|---|---|
| je / j' | j'aurai fini | je serai arrivé(e) |
| tu | tu auras fini | tu seras arrivé(e) |
| il / elle | il aura fini | elle sera arrivée |
| nous | nous aurons fini | nous serons arrivés |
| vous | vous aurez fini | vous serez arrivé(e)(s) |
| ils / elles | ils auront fini | elles seront arrivées |
Auxiliary and agreement follow the passé composé.
1. Two future actions, one before the other. After quand, lorsque, dès que, aussitôt que, une fois que, use the futur antérieur for the action that is finished first; the main verb is in the futur simple:
- Quand j'aurai fini, je t'appellerai. (First I finish, then I call.)
- Dès que tu auras envoyé le mail, on imprimera les affiches.
- Une fois que nous aurons reçu les livres, nous ouvrirons.
2. Deadlines. With d'ici (by) + a date, or avant + a time, say what will be done: d'ici vendredi, j'aurai terminé le programme.
3. A guess about the past. French can use the futur antérieur to suppose something that probably already happened: Il n'a pas répondu : il aura oublié. (He hasn't replied: he'll have forgotten.)
More detail: futur simple after quand
When the action after quand happens at the same time as, or is not finished before, the main action, French uses the plain futur: quand j'arriverai, je t'appellerai (as I arrive). The futur antérieur stresses that the first action is completed.
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
« Quand j'… fini, je t'appellerai. » (avoir)
- That is the conditional, not a future form
- Finir takes avoir, not être
Show answer
aurai. quand + futur antérieur for the action finished first.
Why it matters
Planning means putting actions in order and on a calendar: d'ici lundi, j'aurai fini; une fois que tu auras validé, j'enverrai. The futur antérieur is the standard way French shows the order between two future actions, so it appears in emails, meetings and instructions. At B2 (the level of the DELF B2) you should use it automatically.
Worked example
Mathieu and you, at the planning meeting:
- Mathieu: Où en est-on pour le salon du livre ?
- You: D'ici vendredi, j'aurai terminé le programme. Une fois que tu l'auras validé, je l'enverrai à l'imprimerie.
- Mathieu: Et les affiches ?
- You: Dès que j'aurai reçu les textes, je les mettrai en page. Lundi soir, tout sera prêt.
- Mathieu: Parfait. Et Karim ? Il n'a pas répondu.
- You: Il aura oublié, ou il sera parti en week-end. Quand tu l'auras appelé, dis-moi ce qu'il répond.
Real French: d'ici is very common in work French: d'ici demain, d'ici la fin du mois, d'ici là (by then). And je t'appelle dès que j'ai fini is a frequent spoken shortcut, but when you want to be exact and sequence two future actions, use the futur antérieur.
Common mistake
Using the passé composé before a future main verb. Quand j'ai fini, je t'appellerai is heard in informal speech, but the exact, standard choice is the futur antérieur: quand j'aurai fini, je t'appellerai.
And the wrong auxiliary: wrong: j'aurai arrivé, wrong: il aura parti. Verbs like arriver and partir take être: je serai arrivé(e), il sera parti.
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
"By Friday, I will have finished." Which is right?
- That is the conditional, not the future
- Terminer takes avoir here, so this is wrong
Show answer
D'ici vendredi, j'aurai terminé.. d'ici + a date, then the futur antérieur.
Key terms
- le futur antérieur
- the future perfect
- d'ici vendredi
- by Friday
- dès que / aussitôt que
- as soon as
- une fois que
- once
- quand / lorsque
- when
- avoir fini
- to have finished
- la date limite
- the deadline
- l'échéance
- the deadline, the due date
Practise the key terms
Tap a card to turn it over. 8 cards.
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| le futur antérieur | the future perfect |
| d'ici vendredi | by Friday |
| dès que / aussitôt que | as soon as |
| une fois que | once |
| quand / lorsque | when |
| avoir fini | to have finished |
| la date limite | the deadline |
| l'échéance | the deadline, the due date |
Practice
Sort it
Futur antérieur or futur simple?
Quand j'aurai fini
finished firstShow answer
Futur antérieur. finished first
je t'appellerai
the main action comes laterShow answer
Futur simple. the main action comes later
D'ici vendredi, j'aurai terminé
completed by a deadlineShow answer
Futur antérieur. completed by a deadline
Je commencerai lundi
starts, no completionShow answer
Futur simple. starts, no completion
Il aura oublié
a guess about the pastShow answer
Futur antérieur. a guess about the past
Nous partirons à six heures
a plain futureShow answer
Futur simple. a plain future
Recognition drill
Pick the right answer, as fast as you can.
All pairs
Tap a card to turn it over. 7 cards.
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| finir | il aura fini |
| arriver | il sera arrivé |
| faire | il aura fait |
| partir | il sera parti |
| envoyer | il aura envoyé |
| recevoir | il aura reçu |
| prendre | il aura pris |
Quick quiz
Tap an answer to check it.
« Dès que tu … le mail, on imprimera les affiches. » (envoyer)
- That is the past conditional, not a future form
- That is the conditional, not a future form
Show answer
auras envoyé. dès que + futur antérieur for the first action; on imprimera in the futur simple.
Karim hasn't replied. You guess he probably forgot. You say:
- The futur simple looks ahead, it doesn't guess about the past
- That is the passive: "he will be forgotten"
Show answer
Il aura oublié.. the futur antérieur can express a guess about something already past.
« Une fois que nous … les livres, nous ouvrirons. » (recevoir)
- Recevoir takes avoir, not être
- That is the past conditional, not a future form
Show answer
aurons reçu. une fois que + futur antérieur; nous aurons reçu.
Build the sentence
Build "Once I've finished, I'll call you." Start with Quand.
Show answer
Quand j'aurai fini, je t'appellerai.. quand + futur antérieur, then the futur simple.
Practise speaking
Studyfern has no voice tools of its own. To practise out loud, copy this prompt into a voice-capable AI assistant and talk with it.
Mission role-play. You are Mathieu, who is organising the village book fair and coordinating its volunteers. Speak naturally but clearly, at level B2, using tu. Start with « Alors, où en est-on pour le salon du livre ? ». Ask me one question at a time (the programme, the posters, a volunteer who hasn't answered), and wait for my answer. After each of my replies, tell me in English what kind of mistake I made, if any, and let me try again; watch the futur antérieur after quand, dès que and une fois que, the auxiliary (avoir or être) and the agreement. The mission is complete when I have said, correctly, a deadline with d'ici and j'aurai, a sequence with quand or dès que or une fois que and the futur antérieur, and a guess with il aura: then say « Mission accomplie ! » and give me one tip. Keep every reply under 3 sentences.
Listen too. Listen to native speakers before and after: see the free listening and shadowing links.
Good to know. AI feedback on pronunciation is hit and miss, so check yourself against native recordings. Many assistants turn your speech into text first, so a vowel or liaison you got wrong may be silently “heard” as the right word. Don't share personal details: use a made-up name and town.
New to this? Read Practising speaking with an AI.
In short
- Futur antérieur = future of avoir or être + participle: j'aurai fini, elle sera arrivée.
- After quand, lorsque, dès que, aussitôt que and une fois que, it marks the action finished first.
- The main verb is in the futur simple: quand j'aurai fini, je t'appellerai.
- Deadlines: d'ici vendredi, j'aurai terminé.
- A guess about the past: il aura oublié.
Mastery check
Answer without looking back. Score 80% or more and the lesson is marked done. Your result is kept only in this browser.
Check yourself
Answer in your head first, then open the answer. Nothing is saved.
Say "Once you've validated it, I'll send it."
Show answer
Une fois que tu l'auras validé, je l'enverrai.
"Quand j'ai fini, je t'appellerai" is heard in informal speech. What is the exact, standard form?
Show answer
The futur antérieur: quand j'aurai fini, je t'appellerai.
Say "She has probably forgotten" with the futur antérieur.
Show answer
Elle aura oublié.
Further reading
- TV5MONDE, Apprendre le français, free exercises and clips with answers.
- RFI, Journal en français facile, a free daily news bulletin in simple French.
Finished? Mark it done to fill in your leaf on the French map.