Can someone please explain to me the difference between the futur and the futur causitive(sp?)
I think I got it but why do you say I got my hair cut. Je me suis fait couper Les cheveux? Why do you use me suis?
The futur in French is quite like the Future in English. It refers to an event that "will" or "shall" take place.
If you mean "faire causative" which is what your example looks like:
Faire + an infinitive is called the "faire causative." It translates to "have something done by someone or cause something to be done by someone," or "to cause someone to do something."
The verb "faire" can be used in any tense.
Your example uses "se faire + infinitive" to indicate something a person or thing has done to him/herself.
Example: Elle s'est fait faire une robe. = She had a dress made (for herself).
And sometimes this construction is used when something has happened inadvertently.
Example: Ses parents se sont fait écraser par un camion. = His parents got themselves run over by a truck.
In your example "se faire" becomes a prenominal verb (reflexive) and requires être in the passé composé = s "I got my hair cut" means someone else did it for me.
Hopefully, this is the explanation you need.
Sra (aka Mme)
Certainly! The terms you are referring to are "futur simple" and "futur antérieur" in French grammar. Here is an explanation of the difference between the two:
1. Futur simple: The futur simple, or simple future, is used to express actions that will happen in the future. It is formed by adding specific endings to the infinitive form of the verb. For example, in the sentence "Je partirai demain" (I will leave tomorrow), "partirai" is the futur simple form of the verb "partir" (to leave).
To form the futur simple tense, you can follow these steps:
- Take the infinitive form of the verb (e.g., parler, vendre, finir).
- Add the appropriate ending (-ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont) based on the subject pronoun (je, tu, il/elle/on, nous, vous, ils/elles).
2. Futur antérieur: The futur antérieur, or future perfect, is used to express actions that will have happened before a future point in time. It is constructed by using the future tense of the auxiliary verb "avoir" or "être" (depending on the main verb) and the past participle of the main verb. For example, in the sentence "Elle aura fini ses devoirs avant midi" (She will have finished her homework before noon), "aura fini" is the futur antérieur form of the verb "finir" (to finish).
To form the futur antérieur tense, you can follow these steps:
- Conjugate the auxiliary verb "avoir" or "être" in the future tense according to the subject pronoun and add the appropriate endings.
- Add the past participle of the main verb. The past participle is often formed by adding -é, -i, or -u to the verb's infinitive form.
It's important to note that the futur antérieur is used less frequently than the futur simple and is usually found in more formal or literary contexts.
So, to differentiate between the two, consider the timing of the action: if it will happen in the future, use the futur simple; if it will have been completed before a future point in time, use the futur antérieur.