The main rule
Add -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án to the whole infinitive, for -ar, -er and -ir verbs alike: hablaré, comerás, vivirá. Every form has a written accent except nosotros (hablaremos). Ten common verbs change the stem but keep the same endings: tendré, saldré, haré.
Regular forms
| Person | hablar | comer | vivir |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hablaré | comeré | viviré |
| tú | hablarás | comerás | vivirás |
| él, ella, usted | hablará | comerá | vivirá |
| nosotros | hablaremos | comeremos | viviremos |
| vosotros (Spain) | hablaréis | comeréis | viviréis |
| ellos, ellas, ustedes | hablarán | comerán | vivirán |
Vosotros is used in Spain; in Latin America people say ustedes hablarán. The endings are the present of haber (he, has, ha, hemos, habéis, han) without the h-, which makes them easy to remember. The stress falls on the ending: hablaRÉ, hablaRÁ.
Ten irregular stems
| Infinitive | Stem | yo form |
|---|---|---|
| tener | tendr- | tendré |
| salir | saldr- | saldré |
| venir | vendr- | vendré |
| poner | pondr- | pondré |
| poder | podr- | podré |
| querer | querr- | querré |
| saber | sabr- | sabré |
| haber | habr- | habrá (the future of hay) |
| hacer | har- | haré |
| decir | dir- | diré |
Verbs built on them follow the same pattern: mantener becomes mantendrá, proponer becomes propondrá. The same stems come back in the conditional, the next topic of this course.
What the futuro is used for
Predictions and facts about the future. Mañana lloverá en el norte. El año que viene habrá elecciones. It sounds neutral, a little formal, and is typical of forecasts and news.
Promises and decisions made now. Te llamaré esta noche. Lo haré yo. This is the English "I'll" of a promise or a decision taken at the moment of speaking.
Probability about the present. The futuro can mean "I guess" and then it is about now, not about tomorrow: ¿Dónde está Ana? Estará en casa. Tendrá unos treinta años. ¿Qué hora es? Serán las ocho. If you say Está en casa, you state it as a fact.
Futuro, ir a or the present?
For plans, all three are correct: El sábado iremos a la playa, El sábado vamos a ir a la playa, El sábado vamos a la playa. There are tendencies, not rules. Ir a is usually closer to now and to intentions. The present usually suits a fixed arrangement (Mañana tengo médico). The futuro is more neutral, often more distant or more formal. In everyday speech in much of Latin America, ir a is usually more frequent than the futuro.
What is different from English
English "will" often maps to the futuro: "It will rain" is Lloverá, "I'll call you" is Te llamaré. But "will" in requests and offers is not the futuro. "Will you help me?" is ¿Me ayudas?, and "Shall I open the door?" is ¿Abro la puerta?, both in the present.
"I'm meeting Ana tomorrow" and "I'm going to call her" are usually Mañana veo a Ana and Voy a llamarla, not the futuro. And for a guess English says "I guess" or "probably": "She's probably at home". Spanish can use the futuro alone: Estará en casa.
Negation and questions
No goes before the verb: No lo sabré hasta mañana. A question just uses the question intonation or a question word: ¿Vendrás a la fiesta? ¿Cuándo llegarán? The verb haber gives habrá, the future of hay, and it never changes for a plural noun: Habrá mucha gente, Habrá dos conciertos.
Examples
- Mañana lloverá en el norte. It will rain in the north tomorrow.
- El año que viene habrá elecciones. There will be elections next year.
- Te llamaré esta noche. I'll call you tonight.
- No te preocupes, lo haré yo. Don't worry, I'll do it.
- ¿Dónde está Ana? Estará en casa. Where is Ana? She's probably at home.
- Tendrá unos treinta años. He must be about thirty.
- ¿Qué hora es? Serán las ocho. What time is it? It must be about eight.
- No lo sabré hasta mañana. I won't know until tomorrow.
- ¿Vendrás a la fiesta de Marta? Will you come to Marta's party?
- Habrá mucha gente en el concierto. There will be a lot of people at the concert.
Say the verb aloud
Every form except nosotros is stressed on its last syllable: tendRÉ, vendRÁS, sabRÁ, and that stress is what the written accent marks. Hablaremos is stressed on -re-, so it needs no accent.
Common mistakes
Mañana teneré tiempo.Mañana tendré tiempo. tener has the stem tendr-Yo haceré la cena.Yo haré la cena. hacer has the stem har-Te deciré la verdad.Te diré la verdad. decir has the stem dir-Hablarémos mañana.Hablaremos mañana. no accent on nosotrosAna hablara con el jefe mañana.Ana hablará con el jefe mañana. without the accent it is another form¿Me ayudarás, por favor?¿Me ayudas, por favor? a request usually takes the presentNo sé seguro, pero está en casa.No sé seguro, pero estará en casa. a guess needs the futuroHabrán mucha gente.Habrá mucha gente. habrá does not become plural
Frequently asked questions
How do you form the futuro simple in Spanish?
Add -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án to the whole infinitive: hablar becomes hablaré, comer becomes comeré, vivir becomes viviré. All forms carry an accent except hablaremos.
Which Spanish verbs are irregular in the future?
Ten common ones change the stem: tener (tendré), salir (saldré), venir (vendré), poner (pondré), poder (podré), querer (querré), saber (sabré), haber (habrá), hacer (haré) and decir (diré). The endings stay the same.
What is the difference between the futuro and ir a?
Both are correct for plans and predictions. Ir a is usually closer to now and to intentions, while the futuro is more neutral and often more distant or formal. In much of Latin America, ir a is usually more frequent in speech.
Can the Spanish future express probability?
Yes. The futuro can show a guess about the present: Estará en casa means "she's probably at home", and Serán las ocho means "it must be about eight". The present would state it as a fact.
Is Spanish future the same as English will?
For predictions and promises, yes: Lloverá, Te llamaré. For requests and offers, no: "Will you help me?" is ¿Me ayudas? and "Shall I open the door?" is ¿Abro la puerta?.
What is the future of hay in Spanish?
It is habrá, in the singular even with a plural noun: Habrá mucha gente, Habrá dos conciertos.