Futuro/ Future Tense

The future tense in Spanish is equivalent to the future tense in English, will or shall + verb.

There are 3 ways to express a future action:

1.      The present tense : Indicative mode.

2.      Ir + a + infinity : going to + verb.

3.      The future tense : includes irregular forms.

 

THE PRESENT TENSE

This tense can be used to express an action taking place in the near future.

EXAMPLES:

·         Esta tarde mi hija va al concierto./ This afternoon my daughter will go to the concert.

·         Estoy en la oficina todo el día./ I'll be in the office all day.

 

The construction ir + a + infinitive

This construction is equivalent to the English expression going to + verb. It is frequently used to express a future action.

Ir / to go

Yo voy/ I am going

tú vas/ you are going

él, ella, (Ud.) va/ he, she, (you are) is going

nosotros vamos/ we are going

vosotros vais/ you are going

Uds., ellos, ellas van/ you, they are going

EXAMPLES:

·         Voy a aprender español./ I am going to learn Spanish.

·         Vamos a abrir un negocio propio./ We are going to open our own business.

 

THE FUTURE

To form the future, add these endings to the infinitive, which serves as the stem of almost all Spanish verbs: -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án. The endings are the same for all 3 conjugations.

	comprar/ to buy	vender/ to sell	recebir/ to receive
Yo/ I Tú, Ud., / you él, ella/ he, she Nosotros/ we Vosotros/ you Uds., ellos, ellas/ you, they	compraré comprarás comprará compraremos compraréis comprarán	venderé venderás venderá venderemos venderéis venderán	recibiré recibirás recibirá recibiremos recibiréis recibirán

IRREGULAR VERBS

Some verbs have irregular future stems, which are the same as their irregular conditional stems. Add the future endings to them.

 

Use the future tense in the following situations:

1. To express probability, conjecture or doubt of an action, condition or state, in the present or future time, the future tense is used. It is equivalent to the English expressions: (probably, wonder, suppose, guess).

EXAMPLES:

·         Hoy no me puse el reloj. ¿Qué hora será?/ Today I am not wearing my watch. I wonder what time it is? (What time could it be?)

·         Serán las dos y pico./ It must be a little after two.

·         ¿Quiénes estarán afuera? ¿Serán los niños? / I wonder who are outside? They must be the children. (They are probably the children.)

 

2. To express the willingness to do something, the verbs desear or querer are used instead of the future tense.

EXAMPLE:

·         ¿Quiéren cenar conmigo?/ Will you have dinner with me?

NOTE: The Spanish future tense is NOT used to make requests, as it is in English.

 

3. The future tense is also used to express orders or commands.

EXAMPLES:

·         Mandarás estos folletos esta tarde./ Send these pamphlets this afternoon.

·         Niños, no irán al cine./ Children, don't go (won't) to the movies.