The Future Tense

To express that events are “going to” or “will” happen at a future

time.

You have already learned one way to express things that are “going to”

or “will” happen.

• Yo voy a presentarme como mensajero.• Mi escuela le va a donar ropa para la

gente sin hogar.• La ley va a protegernos.• ¿Vas a juntar fondos para un centro de

comunidad nuevo?

IR + A + an infinitive

There is another way to form the future tense, which requires

the use of new endings.

… but you add them DIRECTLY to the infinitive!

… and you use the same set of endings for ALL THREE types

of infintives!

-EMOS

-ÁN-Á

-ÁS

-É

-ÉIS

Regular Future Endings

Note that all forms have accents except for NOSOTROS.

NOSOTROS NOSOTRAS

Uds.ELLOS ELLAS

ÉLELLA Ud.

TÚ

YO

VOSOTROS VOSOTRAS

INVENTAR – TO INVENT

INVENTARÉ

ÁS

Á

EMOS

ÉIS

ÁN

I will invent.

You will invent.

He / She will invent.

You will invent.

They will invent. / You (all) invent.

You (all) will invent.

We will invent.

INVENTAR

INVENTAR

INVENTAR

INVENTAR

INVENTAR

APRENDER – To learn

Aprenderé Aprenderemos

Aprenderás Aprenderéis

Aprenderá Aprenderán

REDUCIR – To reduce

Reduciré Reduciremos

Reducirás Reduciréis

Reducirá Reducirán

Some verbs have irregular stems in the future tense.

However, they still use the same regular

endings as all other verbs.

Future IrregularsFuture Irregulars

Queasy Querer Querr-

People Poder Podr-

Don’t Decir Dir-

Have Hacer Har-

Sushi Saber Sabr-

Future IrregularsFuture Irregulars

Skinny Salir Saldr-

People Poner Pondr-

Have Haber Habr-

Tasty Tener Tendr-

Vegetables Venir Vendr-

Future IrregularFuture Irregular

Once you have Once you have the irregular the irregular stem, you add stem, you add the regular the regular future endings.future endings.

-é-é -emos-emos

-ás-ás -éis-éis

-á-á -án-án

QUERER – To want

Querré Querremos

Querrás Querréis

Querrá Querrán

DECIR – To say, tell

Diré Diremos

Dirás Diréis

Dirá Dirán

SALIR – To leave, go out

Saldré Saldremos

Saldrás Saldréis

Saldrá Saldrán

In Spanish, you will use future tense to express uncertainty or probability in the present.

• ¿Qué hora será?• Serán las seis.

• ¿Dónde estarán mis zapatos?

• Estarán debajo de tu cama.

• I wonder what time it is.• It’s probably six o’clock.

• Where can be shoes be?

• They must be under your bed.

The English equivalents in these cases are “I wonder”, “it’s probably”, “it must be” and so on.

Pause for Practice

TENER

(yo)Tendré

VENIR

(Miguel)Vendrá

RECONCILIAR (ellos) Reconciliarán

IR

(la clase)Irá

ESTUDIAR (nosotros) Estudiaremos

HACER

(mis amigos)Harán

PODER

(Ud.)Podrá

SEMBRAR

(el hombre)Sembrará

COMER

(la familia)Comerá

SABER

(mi novio y yo)Sabremos

SER

(tú)Serás

VOLUNTAR (yo) Voluntaré