Learn Hardcore French: Tu vas réussir cet examen. - You are going to pass this exam.

Tu vas réussir (near future, futur proche)
- More common in spoken French
- Often feels more immediate, concrete, or reassuring
- Similar to English “you’re going to succeed”
Tu réussiras (simple future, futur simple)
- Slightly more formal or neutral
- Often used in writing, or for general future statements
- Similar to English “you will succeed”

In many situations, they are interchangeable, and choosing one or the other is more about style and tone than grammar.

Why is it cet examen and not ce examen or cette examen?

Because of:

Gender
- Examen is masculine, so the basic demonstrative is ce (this/that).
- Cette is only for feminine nouns, so cette examen is incorrect.
Vowel sound
- When a masculine word starts with a vowel or silent h, ce becomes cet for ease of pronunciation:
  - ce livre (book) → consonant
  - cet examen (exam) → vowel sound
  - cet homme (man) → silent h

So cet examen = this exam / that exam.

Is there a difference between réussir un examen and réussir à un examen?

Yes:

Réussir un examen (most common in modern French)
- Direct object, no preposition
- Means to pass an exam / to succeed in an exam
- Example: Elle a réussi son examen. = She passed her exam.
Réussir à un examen
- Exists but is less common, more formal or old-fashioned
- You’re more likely to see réussir à with verbs, not with examen:
  - réussir à faire quelque chose = to manage / succeed in doing something
    Example: Il a réussi à finir le test.

In everyday spoken French, prefer réussir un examen.

What’s the difference between réussir un examen and passer un examen?

Passer un examen
- Means to take/sit an exam, not to pass it
- Example: Je vais passer cet examen. = I’m going to take this exam.
Réussir un examen
- Means to pass the exam, to succeed
- Example: Tu vas réussir cet examen. = You’re going to pass this exam.

English uses “pass” for both taking and succeeding, but French clearly separates:

passer = take
réussir = pass / succeed

Is tu informal here? Could I say this politely to a teacher or a client?

Tu is the informal singular “you”:

Used with friends, family, children, and sometimes colleagues (depending on the relationship).

To speak politely or formally, you use vous:

Vous allez réussir cet examen.
- Formal you (singular polite or plural)
- Same meaning: You are going to succeed in this exam.

So:

To a friend: Tu vas réussir cet examen.
To a student group: Vous allez réussir cet examen.
To a teacher or client (singular polite): Vous allez réussir cet examen.

How do you pronounce Tu vas réussir cet examen?

Key points:

Tu
- [ty] – like English “too”, but with rounded lips and a shorter sound.
vas réussir
- vas ends in a silent s, but here there is a liaison:
- You actually say [va zréu-sir]
  - The s in vas is pronounced like z before the vowel of réussir.
réussir
- Three syllables: ré-u-ssir
- The é is like “ay” in day.
- The u is [y], again like French tu.
- Final r is pronounced (French r at the back of the throat).
cet examen
- cet: [sɛt]
- examen: [ɛg-za-mɛ̃]
- There is another liaison: cet examen → [sɛ tɛg-za-mɛ̃], you hear a linking t sound.

Altogether: roughly
[ty va zréy-yu-sir sɛ tɛg-za-mɛ̃]

How do I make the sentence negative: “You’re not going to pass this exam”?

Use ne … pas around the conjugated verb (vas), not around réussir:

Tu ne vas pas réussir cet examen.

Structure:

Tu (subject)
ne (or n’ before a vowel sound)
vas (conjugated aller)
pas
réussir (infinitive)
cet examen

In spoken French, people often drop the ne:

Tu vas pas réussir cet examen. (very common in everyday speech, but informal)

If I replace cet examen with a pronoun, where does it go?

You use the direct object pronoun le (because examen is masculine singular) and place it before the infinitive:

Tu vas le réussir. = You’re going to pass it.

Word order:

Subject: tu
Conjugated verb: vas
Object pronoun: le
Infinitive: réussir

So:

Tu vas réussir cet examen.
Tu vas le réussir.

How is réussir conjugated in the present tense?

Réussir is a regular -ir verb (second group). Present tense:

je réussis – I succeed
tu réussis – you succeed (singular, informal)
il / elle / on réussit – he / she / one succeeds
nous réussissons – we succeed
vous réussissez – you succeed (formal or plural)
ils / elles réussissent – they succeed

In the sentence Tu vas réussir, réussir is not conjugated; it stays in the infinitive because it comes after vas.

How do I say this in a more general, less “immediate” future, like a prediction?

You can use the simple future (futur simple):

Tu réussiras cet examen. = You will succeed in this exam.

Nuance:

Tu vas réussir cet examen.
- Near future, sounds more immediate and often more reassuring.
Tu réussiras cet examen.
- Neutral future, can sound like a prediction or a more formal statement.

Both are correct; context and tone decide which feels better.

How can I say “I’m sure you’re going to pass this exam” in French, using the same structure?

You can extend the sentence like this:

Je suis sûr que tu vas réussir cet examen. (if the speaker is male)
Je suis sûre que tu vas réussir cet examen. (if the speaker is female)

Structure:

Je suis sûr(e) que = I’m sure that
tu vas réussir cet examen = you’re going to pass this exam

This keeps the aller + infinitive structure from the original sentence.