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FrenchConjugationFutur

Pouvoir (can) · Futur

By TutorLily Editorial Team · Last updated

Pouvoir in the French futur simple is: je pourrai, tu pourras, il/elle/on pourra, nous pourrons, vous pourrez, ils/elles pourront. The futur simple of pouvoir uses the irregular stem 'pourr-' with a DOUBLE r. 'Je pourrai venir demain' = 'I will be able to come tomorrow'. Same stem powers the conditionnel ('je pourrais').

pouvoir conjugation in the Futur Simple
To Be AblePouvoir
I will be able
je pourrai
you will be able
tu pourras
he/she will be able
il/elle/on pourra
we will be able
nous pourrons
you will be able
vous pourrez
they will be able
ils/elles pourront
Examples

Pouvoir (can) in context

Sentences that use pouvoir in the futur. Tap each to hear it.

Demain je pourrai t'aider.

Tomorrow I will be able to help you.

Tu pourras venir à la fête?

Will you be able to come to the party?

Elle pourra finir son master cette année.

She will be able to finish her master's this year.

Nous pourrons voyager ensemble cet été.

We will be able to travel together this summer.

Vous pourrez poser des questions à la fin.

You will be able to ask questions at the end.

Ils pourront acheter une maison bientôt.

They will be able to buy a house soon.

Tip

Working with the futur

The futur simple ("je parlerai") describes future actions, predictions, and conjecture about the present. In conversation it competes with the futur proche ("je vais parler" — going-to future), which is more common for near-term plans. Use the futur simple for distant or formal futures ("un jour, je voyagerai en Asie") and for conjecture ("il sera fatigué" = he must be tired). The futur stem is the full infinitive for regular verbs (parler-, finir-, vendr-), with a small set of irregular stems for high-frequency verbs: être → ser-, avoir → aur-, aller → ir-, faire → fer-, savoir → saur-, pouvoir → pourr-, vouloir → voudr-, venir → viendr-, devoir → devr-, voir → verr-.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How do you conjugate pouvoir in the futur?
The futur of pouvoir uses 'pourr-' (double r): je pourrai, tu pourras, il/elle/on pourra, nous pourrons, vous pourrez, ils/elles pourront. The double 'r' is critical — writing 'poura' would be misspelled.
Why does 'pourrai' have a double r?
The infinitive 'pouvoir' contains two consonant-like sounds (the 'v' and the implied 'r' from older forms). When French contracted the future stem, the second consonant merged into 'rr' (similar to Spanish querer → querré). Three French verbs have double-r futur stems: pouvoir (pourrai), mourir (mourrai), courir (courrai). Always double r — single r is a spelling error.
When do I use 'je pourrai' instead of 'je vais pouvoir'?
Both express future ability. 'Je pourrai' (futur simple) feels slightly more formal, more committed, or further in time. 'Je vais pouvoir' (futur proche) is more conversational for near-term ability. The futur simple also expresses conjecture: 'il pourra venir' = 'he'll probably be able to come'.
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More tenses of Pouvoir (Can)

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Pouvoir (can) · Subjonctif
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Pouvoir (can) · Conditionnel

More verbs in futur

All tenses
Pouvoir (can)
futur
Être (to be)
futur
Avoir (to have)
futur
Aller (to go)
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