The Spanish Future Tense

El futuro de indicativo
2014 Marie-Claire Hunter, Learn English Spanish Online
www.learnenglishspanishonline.com/spanish
In Spanish, as well as using the *future tense proper,
the future can be expressed in a number of other ways

Esta tarde vamos al parque.
This afternoon were going to the park.
Esta tarde vamos a ir al parque.
This afternoon were going to go to the park.
Esta tarde iremos al parque.
This afternoon well go to the park.
Esta tarde hemos de ir al parque.
This afternoon were to go to the park.


From now on we shall refer to the future tense proper as the future simple.
Soon we shall see when best to use
each tense but first lets learn how to
form the Spanish simple future tense.

How to form the future tense






Regular verbs in the future tense are conjugated by
adding the following endings to the infinitive
form of the verb: -, -s, -, -emos, -is, -n.
Remember that all of the future simple endings
are accented except for the nosotros form!
-, -s, -, -emos, -is, -n
Future simple endings
-ar -er -ir
hablar comer vivir
(yo) hablar comer vivir
(t) hablars comers vivirs
(l, ella, Ud.) hablar comer vivir
(nosotros) hablaremos comeremos viviremos
(vosotros) hablaris comeris viviris
(ellos, Uds.) hablarn comern vivirn
Some verbs have irregular stems but
the endings stay the same
caber (to fit) yo cabr, etc
poner (to put) yo pondr
decir (to say) yo dir
haber (to be, have) yo habr
salir (to leave) yo saldr
hacer (to do, make) yo har
poder (to be able) yo podr
tener (to have) yo tendr
querer (to want) yo querr
valer (to be worth) yo valdr
saber (to know) yo sabr
venir (to come) yo vendr

NB: The same irregularities are carried over to any compound verbs.
Eg. Provenir (to come from) provendr, etc.
So . time to practice!
Can you translate the following phrases using
the future simple tense?

They will eat.
I will write.
She will sing.
You (t) will have.


How did you do?

Comern. They will eat.
Escribir. I will write.
Cantar. She will sing.
Tendrs. You will have. (t)









Now lets see if we can remember those
irregular verb stems in the future simple.
SEE HOW MANY YOU CAN REMEMBER

VERB IRREGULAR STEM
caber (to fit) __________
poner (to put) __________
decir (to say) __________
haber (to be, have) __________
salir (to leave) __________
hacer (to do, make) __________
poder (to be able) __________
tener (to have) __________
querer (to want) __________
valer (to be worth) __________
saber (to know) __________
venir (to come) __________

Hopefully you said
caber (to fit) cabr
poner (to put) pondr
decir (to say) dir
haber (to be, have) habr
salir (to leave) saldr
hacer (to do, make) har
poder (to be able) podr
tener (to have) tendr
querer (to want) querr
valer (to be worth) valdr
saber (to know) sabr
venir (to come) vendr

And now fill the gaps with the best
verb form to express the future.

Nos _____ un premio, cierto? (dar)
Theyll give us a prize, wont they?

Qu hora _____? (ser)
I wonder what time it is?

Te _____ maana. (llamar)
Ill call you tomorrow.

Te _____ por siempre. (amar)
Ill love you forever.

______ cien aos! (tener)
He must be 100 years old!

_______ al parque est tarde. (ir)
Were going to the park this afternoon. (prearranged)

Si sigues estudiando as ______ xito! (tener)
If you (t) keep studying like this you will have success!



Hopefully you said ...

Nos darn un premio, cierto?
Theyll give us a prize, wont they?
Qu hora ser?
I wonder what time it is?
Te llamo maana.
Ill call you tomorrow.
Te amar por siempre.
Ill love you forever.
Tendr cien aos!
He must be 100 years old!
Vamos al parque est tarde.
Were going to the park this afternoon. (prearranged)

Si sigues estudiando as tendrs xito!
If you (t) keep studying like this you will have success!



And do you know why?
Nos darn un premio, cierto?
This is the uncertain future so the future simple is a good choice.
Qu hora ser?
The future simple is also good for supposition, wonder, conjecture etc.
Te llamo maana.
Instead of the future simple its much better to use the present tense for near future events.
Te amar por siempre.
The future simple is good for promises.
Tendr cien aos!
The future simple for supposition, approximation, conjecture etc.
Vamos al parque est tarde.
The present tense is much better for prearranged events for the near future.

Si sigues estudiando as tendrs xito!
The future simple is good for provisional statements about the future.


Now, remember at the beginning of the lesson we saw
that there are a number of ways to express the future
in Spanish?

Esta tarde vamos al parque.
This afternoon were going to the park.
Esta tarde vamos a ir al parque.
This afternoon were going to go to the park.
Esta tarde iremos al parque.
This afternoon well go to the park.
Esta tarde hemos de ir al parque.
This afternoon were to go to the park.


Lets see when best to use each of the above
constructions.
*To start with, many learners of Spanish will tend to
use the future simple tense when a native Spanish
speaker would instead favour the present tense.






* this often is not their fault as many grammar books will teach students to do so
For example

This afternoon we will go to the park.
(future tense)





Esta tarde vamos al parque.
(present tense)

Although using the future tense would not be wrong in
the preceding example, you will find that in Spanish it is
quite natural to use the present tense to refer to
prearranged events in the immediate future










Esta tarde iremos al parque. or Esta tarde vamos al parque.
This afternoon we will go (lit. we are going) to the park.

This is often possible in English too with little, if any, difference
between using the future simple or the present tense when
referring to prearranged events in the near future.







This afternoon we will go to the park.
This afternoon we are going to the park

The difference is that even when it doesnt quite work
in English, near future expressions in Spanish are very
naturally expressed using the present tense.








I am calling you tomorrow. Ill call you tomorrow.
Te llamo maana.

Another present tense option to refer
to the future
The present tense construction ir a + an infintive (the periphrastic future)
is another substitute for the future simple tense.

Use it to refer to things in the foreseeable future or for things that you intend to do.












Esta tarde iremos al parque.
Esta tarde vamos a ir al parque.
So when should you use the
future simple tense?
Use it for less certain statements about the future or when the
context doesnt make clear that youre referring to the future.









Nos veremos en la escuela no es cierto?
Well see each other at school, wont we?
Use the future tense
for provisional statements about the future
(eg. such and such will happen provided that something else happens first)

Una vez que abras tu cuenta, te enlazarn a las lecciones, donde vers
todos los temas que tienes a disposicin.





Once your account is set up, you'll be directed to the lessons, where
youll see all the subjects available to you.

Use the future tense for promises











No te decepcionar.
I wont disappoint you.

Te cuidar y te ayudar.
I will take care of you and I will help you.

Nothing like what she fears will happen.
No pasar nada de lo que teme.

For suppositions (in the present time)
Often expressing wonder, incredulity or conjecture.

Qu ser esto? I wonder what this is?

Qu hora ser? I wonder what time it is?










No dirs que no te ama! Youre not going to say that he doesnt love you!

Estar en la cocina. Hes probably in the kitchen.



For approximations
Tendr unos sesenta aos.
He must be about 70 years old.







Un par de aos har recib una llamada de to Juan.
It must be a couple of years ago I got a call from Uncle John.

NB: The use of the future tense for suppositions and approximations is much more common in Spain than in Latin America.





A little extra
In English will is sometimes used to mean to be willing
to.

If this is the case it would be translated using querer
rather than the future simple tense.

Quiere Ud. ir de mi parte?
Will you go for me?

Quieres lavar los trastes, amor?
Will you wash the dishes, love?
El Fin
Hopefully now you know how to form the
future simple and also when to use it.


2014 Marie-Claire Hunter, Learn English Spanish Online
www.learnenglishspanishonline.com/spanish