
Future Tense: Spanish Guide to Talk About Tomorrow
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Mastering the future tense in Spanish can seem like a big challenge, but it’s easier than you think! This guide is here to make it simple and fun. By exploring regular and irregular verbs, you’ll see patterns that help you predict how to use them.
We’ll also dive into the most common time phrases you’ll need. Imagine talking about your plans for next week or predicting the weather—it’s all within your reach. Whether you’re just starting out or fine-tuning your skills, this guide will boost your confidence in using the future tense in Spanish conversations. Let’s make learning exciting and approachable!
What Is The Spanish Future Simple?
The Spanish Future Simple tense, know in Spanish as “Futuro Simple,” is used to describe actions that will happen in the future. It’s a straightforward tense formed by adding specific endings to the infinitive form of the verb. For example, “hablaré” means “I will speak.” This tense is essential for expressing future intentions, predictions, and promises in Spanish.
3 Effective Ways to Express the Future Tense in Spanish
1. Future tense in Spanish with ir a + infinitive (Informal Future)
This form is commonly used in the Spanish future tense to speak about immediate future actions, similar to “going to” sentences in English.
To structure a simple future sentence in this form we use the verb “ir” in the present tense + the preposition “a” and an infinitive verb, which will describe the action to perform. (ir a + infinitive) Remember, an infinitive is the base form of the verb.
This is how to conjugate it:
● Yo 5899_fe877a-45> |
Voy a dormir 5899_da4e52-d1> |
● Tú 5899_d9c5c2-0d> |
Vas a caminar 5899_77e08b-5d> |
● Él/Ella/Usted 5899_7078b5-68> |
Va a comer 5899_7fce83-4a> |
● Nosotros 5899_7fe501-e3> |
Vamos a visitar 5899_7952d9-52> |
● Vosotros 5899_f85a4b-21> |
Vais a trabajar 5899_c28045-e2> |
● Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes 5899_2eb3a9-91> |
Van a cocinar 5899_60ec65-01> |
- Voy a comprar una camisa morada; a ella le gusta ese color: I’m going to buy a purple shirt, she likes that color.
- Mis amigos dijeron que le gustan los animales. Entonces, voy a contar historias sobre mi perro: My friends told me she likes animals. So, I’m going to tell stories about my dog.
- No puedo dejar oportunidad a otros, voy a bailar con ella toda la noche: I can’t allow others to have a chance, I’m going to dance with her the whole evening.
- Finalmente, voy a hablar sobre las cosas que le interesan: Finally, I’m going to talk about the things she’s interested in.
In order to use the future tense with the verb “ir” it’s got to be followed by the preposition “a”. If not, it will denote a movement in the present tense, it would mean that you’re heading to a place.
- Hoy Miguel va a hablar sobre la vida en Marte: Today Miguel’s going to talk about life on Mars.
- Miguel va al supermercado: Miguel’s going to the supermarket.
2. Spanish Future Tense ir a + infinitive with reflexive verbs (Informal Future)
In Spanish grammar, a reflexive verb is used when a verb whose direct object is the same as its subject. Reflexive verbs are not formed in Spanish the same way as in English.
In Spanish, there are two ways to add the reflexive particle to form the future tense, and in both ways we can use regular and irregular verbs.
Me voy a comer la torta. Voy a comerme la torta. 5899_e66a04-6e> |
I’m going to eat the cake. 5899_04704f-a9> |
Te vas a poner el vestido rojo Vas a ponerte el vestido rojo. Se va a poner el vestido rojo Va a ponerse el vestido rojo. 5899_641838-c9> |
You’re going to put your red dress on. 5899_51dc5e-9f> |
Se va a hacer la cena. Va a hacerse la cena. 5899_4d0ff7-7b> |
He/She is going to cook dinner. 5899_d52de1-e0> |
Nos vamos a sentar. Vamos a sentarnos. 5899_d785e6-22> |
We’re going to sit. 5899_5bcfaf-e1> |
Os vais a secar la cara. Vais a secaros la cara. Se van a secar la cara. Van a secarse la cara. 5899_9417f8-bb> |
You’re going to dry your face. 5899_c21f47-ce> |
Se van a querer un poco más después de la luna de miel. Van a quererse un poco más después de la luna de miel. 5899_77f983-f9> |
They’re going to love each other |
Notice that the reflexive particle can change its place in the sentence. It can either be placed at the beginning or as an ending in the verb.
Want to know more about Spanish Reflexive Verbs? Click that link and check our full guide.
3. Simple Spanish Future Tense
The Simple Future tense in Spanish is used to describe events that will or shall happen in the future but with no specific point in time indicated, they might be occurring in the near or distant future. Unlike the Informal Future, to form the Future Simple tense we only conjugate regular and irregular verbs in the future we add a particular ending to the verb in its infinitive form depending on the subject.
- Cuando sea grande, seré un astronauta: When I grow up, I’ll be an astronaut.
The English equivalent would be a sentence made with the auxiliary verb “will”. In Spanish, we use this simple future tense to talk about intentions, predictions, and suppositions.
When to use Simple Future in Spanish?
1. To express the intention of performing an action in the future
- Lavaré mi ropa mañana o pasado mañana: I’ll do my laundry tomorrow or after tomorrow.
- Me pondré a trabajar más tarde, quiero más tiempo para mí: I’ll work later, I want some more me time.
- Limpiaré mi casa uno de estos días: I’ll clean my house one of these days.
2. To speak about predictions, probabilities, possibilities and conjectures
- No podrás venir a tiempo al juego si saldrás a pie: You won’t be able to come to the game on time if you leave on foot.
- Veré Marte de cerca algún día: I’ll see Mars up close someday.
- Creo que no hablaré: I think I won’t talk.
3. To talk about suppositions in the present
- Asumo que no dejarás la escuela: I assume you won’t leave the school.
- Imagino que trabajarás en el futuro: I imagine you’ll work in the future.
- Quizás no terminaré las conjugaciones: I may not be able to finish all the conjugations.
Regular Verbs in the Simple Future Tense in Spanish
We have three types of regular verbs in Spanish that we categorize according to their endings: –ar, –er and –ir verbs. Here are some examples of regular verbs conjugated in the simple future tense:
Future Tense Spanish -Ar Verbs
Pronouns 5899_4a3731-b1> |
Hablar |
Tomar |
Necesitar |
---|---|---|---|
Yo 5899_dd5fc9-c6> |
hablaré 5899_720088-b2> |
tomaré 5899_a4305c-9c> |
necesitaré 5899_7d16a8-34> |
Tú/Usted 5899_244a40-5d> |
hablarás 5899_8c8140-36> |
tomarás 5899_32d19d-2b> |
necesitarás 5899_cd0489-c8> |
Él/Ella 5899_1be1cf-a7> |
hablará 5899_b9aecc-eb> |
tomará 5899_ec5ace-c2> |
necesitará 5899_fd91ca-fc> |
Nosotros 5899_cb02c1-83> |
hablaremos 5899_c5675a-32> |
tomaremos 5899_e072d9-c1> |
necesitaremos 5899_bb4247-8f> |
Vosotros 5899_998e34-56> |
hablaréis 5899_78b369-49> |
tomaréis 5899_7e7c8c-88> |
necesitaréis 5899_692bfc-ff> |
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes 5899_d3408f-f8> |
hablarán 5899_d39b0f-20> |
tomarán 5899_486647-f2> |
necesitarán 5899_a257dd-96> |
With -Er endings
Pronouns 5899_e58aac-68> |
Comer (to eat) 5899_3a609b-dc> |
Ver (to see) 5899_6ae90a-b7> |
---|---|---|
Yo 5899_776a80-5d> |
comeré 5899_446079-11> |
veré 5899_055059-ea> |
Tú/Usted 5899_fb10ff-2e> |
comerás 5899_7541b2-37> |
verás 5899_4d18dd-9c> |
Él/Ella 5899_18a3eb-39> |
comerá 5899_77f230-0c> |
verá 5899_ba2a0d-23> |
Nosotros 5899_689b55-63> |
comeremos 5899_662c32-1f> |
veremos 5899_0b6bc9-f5> |
Vosotros 5899_755aea-ee> |
comeréis 5899_432484-84> |
veréis 5899_cdf904-1f> |
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes 5899_aa58ca-15> |
comerán 5899_857486-80> |
verán 5899_6325d4-66> |
With -Ir endings
Pronouns 5899_b14c32-2a> |
Vivir (to live) 5899_de5d8b-44> |
Abrir (to open) 5899_6b15a2-7b> |
---|---|---|
Yo 5899_542fff-41> |
viviré 5899_1c7d06-98> |
abriré 5899_e999fe-98> |
Tú/Usted 5899_9b3989-03> |
vivirás 5899_19c456-ad> |
abrirás 5899_62df63-78> |
Él/Ella 5899_cf0f10-1a> |
vivirá 5899_fe9a02-14> |
abrirá 5899_8f5f1e-f6> |
Nosotros 5899_d05e63-0f> |
viviremos 5899_1b6233-51> |
abriremos 5899_d1c93e-f2> |
Vosotros 5899_1b2d8e-2d> |
viviréis 5899_654072-e5> |
abriréis 5899_51d47c-ae> |
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes 5899_ca9501-8e> |
vivirán 5899_20d4b4-57> |
abrirán 5899_03e650-66> |
Notice the stem verb remains the same in its infinitive form and we recognize they are in the simple future tense by following endings added after –ar, –er, and –ir.
Irregular Verbs in the Simple Future Tense in Spanish
For irregular verbs in the future tense Spanish, you’ll notice in the following table that for some of them,
Verb 5899_445696-90> |
Yo 5899_671142-ce> |
Tú 5899_5a3410-40> |
Él/Ella/Usted 5899_9549d2-bd> |
---|---|---|---|
Saber |
sabr+é 5899_8c9886-6f> |
sabr+ás 5899_587be1-e1> |
sabr+á 5899_7fee04-ad> |
Tener |
tendr+é 5899_695267-12> |
tendr+ás 5899_b8c205-36> |
tendr+á 5899_0f307c-74> |
Venir |
vendr+é 5899_5b14b6-47> |
vendr+ás 5899_f95624-de> |
vendr+á 5899_31d711-61> |
Querer |
querr+é 5899_134dc5-be> |
querr+ás 5899_8b0791-6e> |
querr+á 5899_dad2af-01> |
Decir |
dir+é 5899_12a52c-cf> |
dir+ás 5899_3059b0-52> |
dir+á 5899_775fd5-7e> |
Hacer |
har+é 5899_a65f9e-2d> |
har+ás 5899_dbd1f4-c1> |
har+á 5899_496ac4-d4> |
Poner |
pondr+é 5899_49163f-64> |
pondr+ás 5899_954e01-54> |
pondr+á 5899_2c7251-f1> |
Haber |
habr+é 5899_12dde1-1e> |
habr+ás 5899_e26451-f6> |
habr+á 5899_dd270e-3a> |
Salir |
saldr+é 5899_fd6c7b-db> |
saldr+ás 5899_3f883c-14> |
saldr+á 5899_c47f5f-07> |
Poder 5899_ef60a4-73> |
podr+é 5899_d954b3-7b> |
podr+ás 5899_2a31aa-8a> |
podr+á 5899_a49e65-e7> |
Some verbs like “Decir” will change their root from “Dec” to “Dir”, for example:
- Diré unas palabras en el discurso de inauguración: I’ll say a few words in the inaugural speech.
Others like “Saber” will change their stem from “Sab” to “Sabr”, and “Tener” from “Ten” to “Tend”. The rest is just following the rules we use for regular verbs.
- Sabré organizar mi tiempo para la asignación de mañana: I’ll know how to organize my time for tomorrow ‘s assignment.
- Tendré que organizar mi tiempo mejor para la nueva asignación: I’ll have to organize my time better for the new assignment.
Use the verb “haber” in the simple present tense to form impersonal sentences and as an auxiliary verb for the future perfect tense.
12 Time Markers to talk about future in Spanish
In the Spanish future tense, many phrases can be used interchangeably without a difference in meaning. For instance, some people might replace “que viene” with another word. Let’s take a look at some of the most commonly used time phrases related to the future tense in Spanish:
- Mañana: Tomorrow
- Pasado mañana: The day after tomorrow
- La semana que viene or La semana próxima: Next week
- El mes que viene or El mes próximo: Next month
- El año que viene or El año próximo: Next year
- Nunca: Never
- Algún día: Someday
- Uno de estos días: One of these days
- Más tarde: Later
- En un rato: In a while
- Pronto: Soon
- Esta noche: Tonight
Keep in mind that mastering irregular verb conjugations in Spanish takes time. The more you use them, the faster they will stick with you. The best way to practice is to consistently engage in conversations.
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