Simple future (futuro simple)

A2

Grammar path · Lesson 36 of 86 · Stage A2 · Commands and the future

Use the simple future to say what will happen, to make promises and predictions, and even to guess about what is going on right now. It is easy to build: keep the whole infinitive and add the endings -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -án, the same for -ar, -er and -ir verbs: hablaré, comerás, vivirá. About ten common verbs change their stem but keep those endings, like tendré, haré, podré. Learners often mix it up with ir a + infinitivo: in everyday speech, plans already decided usually take voy a viajar, while viajaré sounds more formal, more distant or more like a promise.

Practise this lesson · 9 sentences

Form

Affirmativesujeto + infinitivo + -é / -ás / -á / -emos / -án
Mañana viajaremos a Lima.Tomorrow we will travel to Lima.
Negativesujeto + no + verbo en futuro
Yo no llegaré tarde esta vez.I won't be late this time.
Question¿(palabra interrogativa) + verbo en futuro + sujeto?
¿Vendrás a la fiesta el sábado?Will you come to the party on Saturday?

When to use it

Predictions and future events

Use it for what will happen or what you believe will happen, especially when it is not a concrete plan.

Mañana lloverá en la capital.It will rain in the capital tomorrow.
Creo que ganarás el concurso.I think you'll win the contest.

Promises and decisions

The simple future makes a statement sound firm, like a commitment.

Te prometo que te llamaré mañana.I promise I'll call you tomorrow.
No volveré a llegar tarde.I won't be late again.

Guessing about the present

Native speakers use the future to guess about the present, meaning 'probably' or 'I wonder'.

¿Dónde estará Ana ahora?Where could Ana be now?
Serán las ocho, más o menos.It must be around eight o'clock.

Simple future: infinitive + ending; a few irregular stems

yohablaré
túhablarás
él / ella / ustedhablará
nosotros / nosotrashablaremos
vosotros / vosotras (España)hablaréis
ellos / ellas / ustedeshablarán
irregular stemstendré · haré · diré · podré · saldré · vendré · pondré · querré · sabré · habré

Signal words

mañanapasado mañanala próxima semanael próximo añoel año que vienedentro de dos díasalgún díaprontoen el futuro

Don't confuse it with

Ir a + infinitive (near future)

Choose the simple future for predictions, promises, distant or uncertain futures, and guesses about the present (¿Qué hora será?). For a plan already decided or something about to happen in everyday speech, Latin Americans usually prefer ir a + infinitivo.

Frequently asked questions

How do you form the simple future in Spanish?

Keep the whole infinitive and add -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -án. For example, hablar becomes hablaré and comer becomes comerás.

Which verbs are irregular in the future?

The most common are tener, venir, poner, salir, poder, saber, querer, hacer, decir and haber: tendré, vendré, haré, diré. Only the stem changes; the endings stay the same.

What is the difference between viajaré and voy a viajar?

Voy a viajar is the usual choice for decided plans in speech. Viajaré sounds more formal and suits predictions, promises or a distant future.

Can the future tense express a guess?

Yes. ¿Dónde estará? means 'I wonder where he is', and Tendrá treinta años means 'he is probably about thirty'.

Do future endings have written accents?

Yes, every form has one except nosotros: hablaré, hablarás, hablará, hablaremos, hablarán.

More in Future and conditional

Conditional (condicional simple)B1Future of probabilityB1Future perfectB2Conditional perfectB2Guessing about the past: habrá sido, habría sidoC1
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