Spanish Future Tense

What Is the Future Tense?

The future tense is used to express actions that will happen at some point in the future. It's typically used to make predictions or promises, express plans or intentions, and talk about things that are certain to happen in the future:

• Algún día seré famoso. (Someday I will be famous.)

• Iremos al cine cuando termines tu tarea. (We'll go to the movies when you finish your homework.)

• ¿Mañana visitaréis a vuestra madre? (Will you visit your mother tomorrow?)

The future tense has two main forms: simple future and periphrastic future.

The Simple Future

The simple future is formed by adding specific endings to the infinitive form of the verb. Unlike many other tenses, the future tense in Spanish is regular, meaning it doesn’t require stem changes for most verbs. The endings for regular verbs are as follows:

Here are some more examples: 

• Hablaré con el jefe. (I’ll speak with the boss.)

• Ellos viajarán a España el próximo verano. (They’ll travel to Spain next summer.)

• Comeremos a las siete. (We’ll eat at 7.) 

Irregular Verbs in the Simple Future

Some Spanish verbs are irregular in the simple future, meaning they don't follow the regular pattern of adding the endings directly to the infinitive. Instead, they undergo a change in their stem. The endings for these irregular verbs are still the same as regular verbs. 

Here are some examples of irregular verbs in the simple future:

To make a sentence negative in the simple future, simply add "no" before the verb. For example:

• No estudiaré mañana. (I will not study tomorrow.)

• Ellos no viajarán este verano. (They will not travel this summer.)

¿No trabajarán el lunes? (Won't you be working on Monday?)

When to Use the Simple Future

The main situations when we use the simple future are:

Future Actions, Plans or Events

This is its most common use:

• Mañana estudiaré para el examen. (Tomorrow I’ll study for the exam.)

• La próxima semana iremos a la playa. (Next week, we’ll go to the beach.)

Future Predictions

The simple future can also be used when making predictions based on current evidence:

• El clima mejorará mañana. (The weather will improve tomorrow.)

• Creo que ganarán el partido esta noche. (I think they’ll win the game tonight.)

Present Conjectures

Sometimes, the simple future is used to express what we think or assume is happening right now:

• ¿Quién será esa persona? (Who could that person be?)

• Andrés no ha llegado. / Estará ocupado. (Andrés has not arrived. / He must be busy.)

Formal Commands

In some cases, especially in formal or polite requests, the simple future can be used to express a command or a request:

• Usted hablará con el director. (You will speak with the director.)

• No robarás. (You shall not steal.)

The Periphrastic Future

The verb "ir" (conjugated in the present simple tense) can also be used befor an "a" and an infinitive verb to talk about the future, especially in informal conversations. 

The periphrastic future can also be referred to as the "near future" or "immediate future," because it describes actions that will happen soon or are planned in the near future. It’s similar to saying "going to" in English (e.g., "I’m going to eat," "She is going to study").

Here are some examples:

• Voy a estudiar para el examen. (I’m going to study for the exam.)

• Mis primos van a viajar a España el próximo mes. (My cousins are going to travel to Spain next month.)

• ¿Vas a comer pizza esta noche? (Are you going to eat pizza tonight?)

• Vamos a salir a las seis de la tarde. (We’re going to leave at 6 in the afternoon.)

• Juan va a correr en la competencia mañana. (Juan is going to run in the competition tomorrow.)

It’s important to note that in Spanish, we often use the simple present tense to talk about future events that are certain or have a fixed schedule. For example:

• Te llamo mañana. (I’ll call you tomorrow.)

• Nos vemos pronto. (See you soon.)

• El tren sale a las seis. (The train leaves at 6.)