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B1.14 - Organizing a long distance travel

The future perfect with "quand", "dès que", "lorsque"

The future perfect (futur antérieur) is a compound tense used to express an action that will happen before a second action.

What this tense is doing (in one line)

Le futur antérieur is used in a time clause to show that Action 1 will be finished before Action 2 (which is also in the future).

Timeline French pattern Meaning
Action 1 (completed first) quand / lorsque / dès que + futur antérieur “when / once / as soon as … has happened”
Action 2 (happens after) futur simple or impératif “…, (then) I will… / do …”

How to build the futur antérieur (quick formula)

It is the same “two-part” structure as the passé composé, but the auxiliary is in the future.

Structure Example
avoir (future) + past participle Lorsque tu auras réservé, on pourra commencer.
être (future) + past participle Appelez-moi dès que vous serez descendus du train.

Future forms you need (most common):

  • j’aurai, tu auras, il/elle aura, nous aurons, vous aurez, ils/elles auront
  • je serai, tu seras, il/elle sera, nous serons, vous serez, ils/elles seront

Choosing between avoir and être (the decision you actually make)

  • Use avoir for most verbs: réserver, finir, signer, recevoir → tu auras réservé.
  • Use être with “movement/state change” verbs and all reflexive verbs (same list as passé composé): aller, arriver, partir, monter, descendre, entrer, sortir, naître, mourir, rester, tomber, retourner, venir, devenir, revenir → nous serons montés.

Agreement reminder (only with être):

  • With être, the past participle agrees with the subject: elles seront arrivées, ils seront descendus.

Word order: where the futur antérieur goes in the sentence

The time clause can be placed before or after the main clause. Meaning stays the same.

  • Time clause first: Quand j’aurai terminé, je t’appellerai.
  • Main clause first: Je t’appellerai quand j’aurai terminé.

The most common mistake: using the simple future after “quand / dès que / lorsque”

In French, after these time connectors, you normally do not put the simple future if you mean “completed before”.

Goal Correct Wrong
Action 1 finished before Action 2 Quand tu auras fini, on partira. Quand tu finiras, on partira.
“As soon as” + instruction Dès que vous serez arrivés, envoyez-moi un message. Dès que vous allez arriver, envoyez-moi un message.

How to self-check (30 seconds before you submit an answer)

  1. Find the two actions (what happens first? what happens after?).
  2. Put the first, completed action in the time clause: quand / lorsque / dès que + futur antérieur.
  3. Put the second action in the main clause: futur simple (or impératif if it’s an instruction).
  4. Check: do you need être? If yes, add agreement: -e / -s / -es.

What you are learning to express (useful in professional contexts)

  • Project sequencing: Lorsque nous aurons validé le budget, nous lancerons la phase 2.
  • Clear next steps: Dès que vous aurez signé, je vous enverrai la version finale.
  • Instructions with a condition in time: Appelez-moi quand vous serez sortis de la réunion.
  1. The future perfect indicates that the secondary action happened before the main action.
  2. The secondary action is generally introduced by a time conjunction such as "quand", "lorsque", or "dès que".
  3. The verb in the main clause (which refers to the subject) is in the future simple or the imperative. Example: Appelle moi quand tu auras fini/ Tu m'appelleras quand tu auras fini.
Structure (Structure)Exemple (Example)
Quand (When)Quand nous serons montés dans l'avion, nous pourrons nous reposer. (When we have boarded the plane, we will be able to rest.)
Dès que (As soon as)Appelez moi dès que vous serez descendues du train ! (Call me as soon as you have gotten off the train!)
Lorsque (When)Lorsque tu auras réservé, le séjour pourra commencé. (When you have booked, the stay can begin.)

Exceptions!

  1. The secondary clause in the future perfect can be placed either before or after the main clause.

Exercise 1: Multiple choice

Instruction: Choose the correct answer

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1. Dès que vous ________ le tarif de groupe, je vous enverrai la confirmation par e-mail. Dès que vous aurez réservé le tarif de groupe, je vous enverrai la confirmation par e-mail.

As soon as you ________ the group rate, I will send you the confirmation by email.

2. Quand nous ________ dans le train, on pourra enfin se détendre et parler du séjour. Quand nous serons montés dans le train, on pourra enfin se détendre et parler du séjour.

When we ________ on the train, we will finally be able to relax and talk about the stay.

3. Lorsque j'________ la réservation de l'hôtel, je te transmettrai l'adresse pour le taxi. Lorsque j'aurai terminé la réservation de l'hôtel, je te transmettrai l'adresse pour le taxi.

When I ________ booking the hotel, I will send you the address for the taxi.

4. Appelez-moi dès que les enfants ________ du bus, et je viendrai vous chercher. Appelez-moi dès que les enfants seront descendus du bus, et je viendrai vous chercher.

Call me as soon as the children ________ the bus, and I will come pick you up.

Exercise 2: Rewrite the phrases

Instruction: Rewrite each sentence by adding a temporal clause with "when / as soon as / once" in the future perfect (action 1), then a main clause in the simple future or the imperative (action 2).

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  1. (Quand) Tu finis le dossier. Ensuite, tu m’envoies un e-mail.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Quand tu auras fini le dossier, tu m’enverras un e-mail.
    (When you have finished the file, you will send me an email.)
  2. (Dès que) Tu arrives à la gare. Appelle-moi.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Appelle-moi dès que tu seras arrivé(e) à la gare.
    (Call me as soon as you have arrived at the station.)
  3. (Lorsque) Nous signons le contrat. Après, nous commencerons le projet.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Lorsque nous aurons signé le contrat, nous commencerons le projet.
    (When we have signed the contract, we will start the project.)
  4. (Dès que) Vous recevrez la confirmation. Ensuite, vous pourrez réserver l’hôtel.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Dès que vous aurez reçu la confirmation, vous pourrez réserver l’hôtel.
    (As soon as you have received the confirmation, you will be able to book the hotel.)

Exercise 3: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct sentence.

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1.
Incorrect: after “when” for a prior action you must use the future perfect, not the simple future — you say “when you will have finished”.
2.
Incorrect: the “going to + infinitive” construction is not used here; we use the future perfect to express the action already completed (you will have arrived).
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Oscar Figueiral Marques

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Last Updated:

Tuesday, 23/06/2026 23:00