commencera

jennifer A.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

commencera

L'année prochaine, il commence l'université.Next year, he's starting university.

why do we not say:- 

L'année prochaine, il commencera à l'université

Asked 5 years ago
J. L.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

It has to do with the concept called the 'immediate/concrete future and the  practice in dialog form of using  Le Present. I am not sure if it apples in formal writing.

KWIZ  has a lesson on it called Using Le Présent for immediate/near future actions.

Couple examples from that lesson are : Demain, il arrive à dix heures./Tomorrow, he's arriving at ten o'clock. and Je prends mon train dans une heure./I'm taking my train in an hour.

I added the term concrete for my clarity... but you can see the concept that while the action of the verb is technically in the future and is not 'accomplished'... the sense is that it is a 'done deal' and does not really hang on a 'future plan' of action.

One nice example I have seen is where in English we say, "We'll see each other tomorrow" , the French  translation is " on  se voit demain".. the present tense and generic 'on'.

I don't think it overrides the 'technical' use of the future (you weren't be marked wrong I don't think) but it makes you look, to use a galling but not Gallic term, "as if you didn't just hit town".

jennifer A.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Thanks Jameson, that was a good explanation.

commencera

L'année prochaine, il commence l'université.Next year, he's starting university.

why do we not say:- 

L'année prochaine, il commencera à l'université

Sign in to submit your answer

Don't have an account yet? Join today

Ask a question

Find your French level for FREE

Test your French to the CEFR standard

Find your French level
Clever stuff happening!