Spanish Future Tense: How to Use the Future Tense in Spanish
The Spanish future tense is used to talk about actions or events that will happen in the future. Here are the key points about Spanish future tense conjugation:
Formation
To form the future tense in Spanish, you simply add the following endings to the infinitive form of the verb:
| Subject Pronoun | Future Ending |
|---|---|
| yo | -é |
| tú | -ás |
| él/ella/usted | -á |
| nosotros/nosotras | -emos |
| vosotros/vosotras | -éis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | -án |
This applies to all regular verbs, whether they end in -ar, -er, or -ir.
Examples
Here’s how the future tense conjugation looks for some common verbs:
Hablar (to speak)
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | hablaré | I will speak |
| Tú | hablarás | You will speak |
| Él/ella/usted | hablará | He/she/you will speak |
| Nosotros/nosotras | hablaremos | We will speak |
| Vosotros/vosotras | hablaréis | You all will speak |
| Ellos/ellas/ustedes | hablarán | They/you all will speak |
Comer (to eat)
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | comeré | I will eat |
| Tú | comerás | You will eat |
| Él/ella/usted | comerá | He/she/you will eat |
| Nosotros/nosotras | comeremos | We will eat |
| Vosotros/vosotras | comeréis | You all will eat |
| Ellos/ellas/ustedes | comerán | They/you all will eat |
Irregular Verbs
While most verbs follow the regular pattern, there are some common irregular verbs in the future tense. These verbs change their stems before adding the future tense endings:
Irregular Future Stems
| Infinitive Verb | Future Stem |
|---|---|
| Decir (to say) | dir- |
| Hacer (to do/make) | har- |
| Poder (to be able to) | podr- |
| Poner (to put) | pondr- |
| Querer (to want) | querr- |
| Saber (to know) | sabr- |
| Salir (to leave) | saldr- |
| Tener (to have) | tendr- |
| Venir (to come) | vendr- |
Uses
The Spanish future tense is used for:
- Making predictions about the future
- Expressing assumptions or guesses about the present
- Giving solemn commands
- Talking about distant future events
Alternative Future Expressions
It’s worth noting that Spanish has other ways to express future actions:
Ir + a + infinitive: Used for immediate future plans or intentions. Example: Voy a estudiar (I’m going to study)
Present tense: Can be used for scheduled future events. Example: El tren sale a las 7 (The train leaves at 7)
Understanding these various forms of expressing the future in Spanish will help create more nuanced and contextually appropriate communication.