l'avenir
To say the future in French, meaning the time that is yet to come, use l'avenir.
l'avenir is the time yet to come, the future you can have faith in or wonder about. To talk about a person's prospects or destiny, French uses un avenir, as in un avenir radieux, a bright future.
Which one should you use?
l'avenir is the abstract idea of time yet to come. le futur is often used in a more technical or grammatical sense, as in le futur simple, the future tense.
How does it change in a sentence?
avenir is masculine. Because it starts with a vowel, the article le shortens to l'.
Did you know?
- When a French person says à l'avenir, they are not just making a casual prediction about what will happen. In a formal or legal context, it acts as a stern command meaning 'from now on', often used to demand a change in behavior.
- The word avenir is a linguistic relative of the English word 'event'. Both derive from the Latin root 'venire', which means 'to come'.
- In French, the concept of the future is split between l'avenir and le futur. Using le futur in a casual conversation about your life can make you sound like a science fiction writer or a time traveler.
Examples in context
- J'ai foi en l'avenir.I have faith in the future.en l'avenir means in the future.Tatoeba #1684816 by sacredceltic, translation #1682692 by Spamster
- Que recèle l'avenir ?What does the future hold?l'avenir is the subject asked about here.Tatoeba #1741105 by sacredceltic, translation #1740542 by Spamster
- Nul ne connaît l'avenir.Nobody knows the future.l'avenir is what nobody knows.Tatoeba #6166972 by Aiji, translation #1588344 by CM
- Je parlerai français.I will speak French.
- Je vais manger.I am going to eat.
- J'aurai fini avant toi.I will have finished before you.
- Je pars demain.I am leaving tomorrow.
- Je vais vouloir étudier ce soir.I am going to want to study tonight.
- 181 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their career plans.
- NathanTu penses à l'avenir ?Are you thinking about the future?
- ManonOui, je veux un nouveau travail.Yes, I want a new job.
- NathanL'avenir est incertain pour tout le monde.The future is uncertain for everyone.
- ManonC'est vrai, mais je reste optimiste.That's true, but I stay optimistic.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
