Learning the future tense in Spanish is an exciting step for students, language learners, writers, and grammar enthusiasts.
This verb tense allows you to talk about events that will happen, express predictions, or even show probability in the present.
If you’re planning a trip to a Spanish-speaking country or aiming to ace your language class, mastering the future tense is essential.
This beginner-friendly guide breaks down the future tense in Spanish, including its structure, conjugation, and real-life examples.
With clear explanations, tables, and practical tips, you’ll be ready to use this tense confidently.
Let’s dive into how to form and use the future tense correctly, avoid common mistakes, and practice with engaging exercises.
What Is the Future Tense in Spanish?
The future tense in Spanish (el futuro) is used to describe actions that will occur in the future. It’s also used for predictions, intentions, or to express probability about the present (e.g., “She must be tired” = Estará cansada). Unlike English, which often uses “will” + verb, Spanish forms the future tense by adding specific endings to the infinitive verb, making it relatively simple to learn.
How to Recognize the Future Tense?
You can spot the future tense in Spanish by its unique endings: -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án. These are attached to the infinitive form of the verb. For example, hablar (to speak) becomes hablaré (I will speak). Look for these endings in sentences like Mañana viajaré a México (Tomorrow, I will travel to Mexico).
Structure of a Sentence
A basic sentence in the future tense follows this structure:
Subject + conjugated verb (infinitive + future ending) + rest of the sentence.
Example: Yo comeré pizza esta noche (I will eat pizza tonight). The subject (yo) is followed by the conjugated verb (comeré) and the object or additional information (pizza esta noche).
Formation
To form the future tense in Spanish, take the infinitive verb and add the appropriate ending based on the subject. The endings are the same for all verb types (-ar, -er, -ir):
- Yo: -é
- Tú: -ás
- Él/Ella/Usted: -á
- Nosotros: -emos
- Vosotros: -éis
- Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes: -án
Example: Vivir (to live) → Viviré (I will live).
Verbs
The future tense applies to all Spanish verbs, whether regular or irregular. Regular verbs like comer (to eat) or aprender (to learn) follow the standard pattern. Irregular verbs, however, have unique stems but use the same endings.
Helping Verbs
Unlike English, the future tense in Spanish doesn’t require helping verbs like “will.” The future is built directly into the verb’s conjugation. However, the auxiliary verb ir + a + infinitive (e.g., Voy a estudiar) is a common alternative to express future actions, especially in conversational Spanish.
Explanation of Some Verbs with Reference to the Future Tense
Certain verbs are commonly used in the future tense to express plans or predictions:
- Estar (to be): Used for future states, e.g., Estaré ocupado (I will be busy).
- Tener (to have): For possession, e.g., Tendré un coche nuevo (I will have a new car).
- Hacer (to do/make): For actions, e.g., Hará frío mañana (It will be cold tomorrow).
These verbs follow the same conjugation rules but may have irregular stems (see below).
Table of Some Regular and Irregular Verbs in the Future Tense
| Infinitive | Stem | Yo Form | Ellos Form |
| Hablar (regular) | Hablar- | Hablaré | Hablarán |
| Comer (regular) | Comer- | Comeré | Comerán |
| Vivir (regular) | Vivir- | Viviré | Vivirán |
| Tener (irregular) | Tendr- | Tendré | Tendrán |
| Decir (irregular) | Dir- | Diré | Dirán |
| Hacer (irregular) | Har- | Haré | Harán |
| Poder (irregular) | Podr- | Podré | Podrán |
| Saber (irregular) | Sabr- | Sabré | Sabrán |
Simple Sentence Examples
- Yo estudiaré para el examen mañana. (I will study for the exam tomorrow.)
- Tú viajarás a España el próximo año. (You will travel to Spain next year.)
- Ella trabajará en la oficina. (She will work in the office.)
- Nosotros comeremos paella el domingo. (We will eat paella on Sunday.)
- Vosotros aprenderéis español rápido. (You all will learn Spanish quickly.)
- Ellos vivirán en Madrid. (They will live in Madrid.)
- Él tendrá una reunión importante. (He will have an important meeting.)
- Usted hará un pastel delicioso. (You will make a delicious cake.)
- Yo podré terminar el proyecto. (I will be able to finish the project.)
- Nosotros sabremos la verdad pronto. (We will know the truth soon.)
Negative Sentence Examples
- Yo no estudiaré esta noche. (I will not study tonight.)
- Tú no viajarás a México. (You will not travel to Mexico.)
- Ella no trabajará mañana. (She will not work tomorrow.)
- Nosotros no comeremos carne. (We will not eat meat.)
- Vosotros no aprenderéis francés. (You all will not learn French.)
- Ellos no vivirán aquí. (They will not live here.)
- Él no tendrá tiempo libre. (He will not have free time.)
- Usted no hará la tarea. (You will not do the homework.)
- Yo no podré asistir a la fiesta. (I will not be able to attend the party.)
- Nosotros no sabremos los resultados. (We will not know the results.)
Interrogative Sentence Examples
- ¿Estudiaré lo suficiente para el examen? (Will I study enough for the exam?)
- ¿Viajarás a Europa este verano? (Will you travel to Europe this summer?)
- ¿Trabajará ella en la tienda? (Will she work in the store?)
- ¿Comeremos en el restaurante nuevo? (Will we eat at the new restaurant?)
- ¿Aprenderéis vosotros italiano? (Will you all learn Italian?)
- ¿Vivirán ellos en Barcelona? (Will they live in Barcelona?)
- ¿Tendrá él un nuevo trabajo? (Will he have a new job?)
- ¿Harás tú la cena esta noche? (Will you make dinner tonight?)
- ¿Podré terminar a tiempo? (Will I be able to finish on time?)
- ¿Sabremos la respuesta mañana? (Will we know the answer tomorrow?)
Negative and Interrogative Sentence Examples
- ¿No estudiaré lo suficiente? (Won’t I study enough?)
- ¿No viajarás a Chile? (Won’t you travel to Chile?)
- ¿No trabajará ella mañana? (Won’t she work tomorrow?)
- ¿No comeremos en casa? (Won’t we eat at home?)
- ¿No aprenderéis vosotros rápido? (Won’t you all learn quickly?)
- ¿No vivirán ellos aquí? (Won’t they live here?)
- ¿No tendrá él tiempo? (Won’t he have time?)
- ¿No harás tú el proyecto? (Won’t you do the project?)
- ¿No podré asistir a la reunión? (Won’t I be able to attend the meeting?)
- ¿No sabremos los detalles? (Won’t we know the details?)
How to Conjugate the Future Tense
- Identify the infinitive verb (e.g., cantar, beber, escribir).
- Keep the full infinitive as the stem for regular verbs.
- Add the appropriate ending: -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án.
- For irregular verbs, use the irregular stem (e.g., tener → tendr-).
- Attach the same endings as regular verbs.
- Ensure subject-verb agreement.
- Check for spelling changes in irregular verbs.
- Practice with different subjects (yo, tú, etc.).
- Use context to ensure the tense fits the sentence.
- Review your conjugation for accuracy.
Conjugation Table for All Subjects
For the verb hablar (regular) and hacer (irregular):
| Subject | Hablar | Hacer |
| Yo | Hablaré | Haré |
| Tú | Hablarás | Harás |
| Él/Ella/Usted | Hablará | Hará |
| Nosotros | Hablaremos | Haremos |
| Vosotros | Hablaréis | Haréis |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | Hablarán | Harán |
Spelling Changes or Irregularities
Some verbs have irregular stems in the future tense. Common irregular verbs include:
- Tener → tendr- (e.g., tendré)
- Decir → dir- (e.g., diré)
- Hacer → har- (e.g., haré)
- Poder → podr- (e.g., podré)
- Saber → sabr- (e.g., sabré)
The endings remain regular, but the stem changes. Regular verbs like comer or vivir have no spelling changes.
10–15 Sentence Examples with Different Subjects
- Yo cantaré en el concierto. (I will sing at the concert.)
- Tú beberás agua después de correr. (You will drink water after running.)
- Ella escribirá una novela. (She will write a novel.)
- Nosotros jugarremos al fútbol. (We will play soccer.)
- Vosotros bailaréis en la fiesta. (You all will dance at the party.)
- Ellos llegarán tarde. (They will arrive late.)
- Él tendrá éxito en su carrera. (He will have success in his career.)
- Usted trabajará desde casa. (You will work from home.)
- Yo podré ayudarte mañana. (I will be able to help you tomorrow.)
- Nosotros sabremos la verdad. (We will know the truth.)
- Tú harás un pastel delicioso. (You will make a delicious cake.)
- Ella vivirá en Paris. (She will live in Paris.)
- Ellos comerán en el restaurante. (They will eat at the restaurant.)
- Vosotros estudiaréis para el examen. (You all will study for the exam.)
- Él dirá algo importante. (He will say something important.)
Common Mistakes with the Future Tense
- Using ir + a + infinitive instead of the future tense for formal writing.
- Forgetting irregular stems (e.g., saying teneré instead of tendré).
- Mixing up endings (e.g., using hablarás for yo).
- Omitting the subject pronoun when needed for clarity.
- Using the present tense for future actions.
- Incorrectly applying regular endings to irregular verbs.
- Forgetting accents on endings (e.g., hablare instead of hablaré).
- Confusing the future tense with the conditional tense.
- Overusing the future tense for probability instead of context-appropriate verbs.
- Misplacing adverbs like mañana in the sentence.
How to Avoid Common Mistakes
- Practice irregular verb stems separately.
- Memorize the future tense endings.
- Use a conjugation chart for reference.
- Double-check accents on verb endings.
- Read example sentences to understand context.
- Practice with native speakers to hear correct usage.
- Avoid translating directly from English “will.”
- Use flashcards for irregular verbs.
- Write sentences and check them with a grammar tool.
- Review differences between future and conditional tenses.
Related Verbs and Synonyms
The future tense doesn’t have direct synonyms, but the ir + a + infinitive construction (e.g., Voy a hablar) is often used interchangeably in casual speech. Verbs like predecir (to predict) or planear (to plan) may relate to future actions but aren’t synonyms. Avoid confusing the future tense with the conditional tense (hablaría = I would speak).
Sentence Comparisons
- Future: Estudiaré mañana. (I will study tomorrow.)
- Ir + a: Voy a estudiar mañana. (I’m going to study tomorrow.)
- Conditional: Estudiaría si tuviera tiempo. (I would study if I had time.)
Tips to Practice Using the Future Tense
- Write a daily plan using the future tense.
- Predict the weather for the week in Spanish.
- Practice with a language partner.
- Use apps like Duolingo for conjugation drills.
- Create flashcards for irregular verbs.
- Watch Spanish movies and note future tense usage.
- Write a short story about your future goals.
- Practice forming negative and interrogative sentences.
- Use a grammar checker to verify your sentences.
- Join a Spanish language forum to practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the future tense in Spanish? It describes actions that will happen.
- How do I form it? Add endings to the infinitive verb.
- Are there irregular verbs? Yes, some have unique stems.
- Can I use ir + a instead? Yes, in casual speech.
- What are the endings? -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án.
- When is it used? For predictions, plans, or probability.
- How do I avoid mistakes? Practice conjugations and check accents.
- Is it different from the conditional? Yes, it’s about “will” vs. “would.”
- Can I use it for present probability? Yes, e.g., Estará en casa (She’s probably home).
- How can I practice? Use exercises, apps, or native speakers.
Exercises
- Conjugate jugar for all subjects.
- Write 5 sentences about your plans for next year.
- Turn 5 present tense sentences into the future tense.
- Create 3 negative sentences using comer.
- Form 3 interrogative sentences with vivir.
- Correct this sentence: Yo hablaré mañana.
- Use tener in a future tense sentence.
- Write a sentence with an irregular verb.
- Combine hacer and mañana in a sentence.
- Translate: “We will travel to Peru.”
Quizzes
- What is the correct form of comer for tú? (Answer: comerás)
- Is diré the correct form of decir for yo? (Yes)
- What’s the ending for nosotros? (-emos)
- Which verb has the stem podr-? (poder)
- Is hablaré correct for tú? (No, it’s for yo)
- What’s the irregular stem of saber? (sabr-)
- Does vivir have an irregular stem? (No)
- What’s the future tense of hacer for ellos? (harán)
- Can ir + a replace the future tense? (Yes, in casual speech)
- What’s the correct form of tener for ella? (tendrá)
True or False
- The future tense uses will as a helping verb. (False)
- All verbs use the same endings in the future tense. (True)
- Tener has an irregular stem. (True)
- Comer is an irregular verb in the future tense. (False)
- The ending for tú is -ás. (True)
- The future tense can express probability. (True)
- Haceré is correct for yo. (False, it’s haré)
- The future tense is the same as the conditional. (False)
- Ir + a + infinitive is formal. (False)
- Accents are required on future tense endings. (True)
Conclusion
Mastering the future tense in Spanish opens up new ways to express your plans, predictions, and possibilities.
By understanding its structure, practicing conjugations, and avoiding common mistakes, you’ll gain confidence in using this tense.
If you’re a student, language learner, or grammar enthusiast, the examples, tables, and exercises in this guide make it easy to learn and apply the future tense.
Keep practicing with real-life sentences, quizzes, and conversations to solidify your skills.
Try writing a short paragraph about your future goals or use a grammar checker to perfect your sentences.
Share your progress in the comments or join a language community to keep learning!
