Grammar: Present meaning Future

ByFast French

In French, you don’t always have to use the Future Simple tense to talk about the future. You don’t even have to use the Near Future tense. You can just use the Present Tense, provided that you also specify a time that will occur sometime in the near future, eg “this evening,” “tomorrow,” or even “next week.”

French people will often use this same approach when they speak English, saying things like, “I see you tomorrow.” English speakers would say, “I’ll see you tomorrow,” but French speakers are used to saying, “I see you tomorrow,” and many see no reason why they should not use the same construction in English.

Examples

Present tenseLiteral meaningActual meaning
Je te vois demainI see you tomorrowI will/I’ll see you tomorrow
On se parle la semaine prochaineWe speak to each other next weekWe will/we’ll speak to each other next week
Il vous appelle vendrediHe calls you FridayHe will/he’ll call you on Friday
Tu me rappelles ce soir ?You call me back this evening?Will you call me back tonight?

Subscribe to be informed of new posts!

Don’t miss new articles!

Get 1 email a week with new articles about French

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy

Similar Posts

  • conscient

    ByFast French

    Meanings of “Conscient” Etymology of “Conscient” The word “conscient” has a Latin origin, derived from the Latin word “conscientia,” which means “knowledge” or “consciousness.” Over time, this Latin term evolved into the Old French “conscient,” maintaining its core meaning of awareness or consciousness. It is important to note that the word “conscience” in modern French…

  • détendre

    ByFast French

    The French Verb “Détendre”: Unraveling Layers of Relaxation The French verb “détendre” means “to relax,” “to loosen,” “to untighten,” “to release” or even “to entertain.” It also has a reflexive version, “se détendre,” which also means “to relax” or “to slacken.” Etymology:“Détendre” comes from the Latin words, “de” (down from) and “tendere” (to stretch). Usage:…

  • il faut

    ByFast French

    The French phrase “il faut” translates to “it is necessary.” It is an impersonal expression, meaning that the “il” does not translate as “he,” but rather as “it.” So it means “it is necessary,” not “he is necessary.” In fact, the French verb “falloir,” which is the infinitive that “il faut” comes from, can only…

  • Grammar: Plus-Que-Parfait

    ByFast French

    Understanding the French Plus-Que-Parfait Verb Tense: Actions in the Past Before Another Past Action In French grammar, there’s a tense called the plus-que-parfait that helps us talk about actions that happened before another past action. It adds depth to our storytelling and gives a clearer picture of the sequence of events. “Plus-que-parfait” literally means “more…

  • il faut que

    ByFast French

    The French phrase “il faut que” means “it’s necessary that.” It is used to express obligation and necessity. Unlike the phrase “il faut” (which is used without “que” and with a verb in the infinitive), “il faut que” specifies exactly who should do something. “Il faut que” is always accompanied by a second verb in…

  • Homophones

    ByFast French

    In French, there are many nouns that have the same sound but different genders and meanings. Here’s a list of some examples: These nouns are homophones, which are words that sound the same but have different meanings and genders.