The future tense (AQA GCSE Spanish): Revision Notes
The future tense
The future tense in Spanish allows you to express what will happen or what you plan to do. There are two main ways to talk about the future: the standard future tense and the immediate future tense. Each has its own uses and formation rules.
Standard future tense
The standard future tense describes what will happen in the future. It's formed by adding specific endings directly to the infinitive form of most verbs.
The beauty of the Spanish future tense is its simplicity - you don't need to change the verb stem for regular verbs, just add the endings directly to the infinitive!
Formation
To create the future tense, take the infinitive of any verb and add these endings:
| Person | Ending | Example with 'hablar' |
|---|---|---|
| I (yo) | -é | hablaré |
| you (tú) | -ás | hablarás |
| he/she/it (él/ella) | -á | hablará |
| we (nosotros) | -emos | hablaremos |
| you plural (vosotros) | -éis | hablaréis |
| they (ellos/ellas) | -án | hablarán |
This pattern works for regular verbs like hablar (to speak), comer (to eat), and vivir (to live).
Irregular verbs in the future tense
Some common verbs don't follow the regular pattern. Instead of using their infinitive, they use a special stem before adding the same endings.
These irregular verbs are among the most frequently used in Spanish, so it's essential to memorise their irregular stems. Notice that many of them end with the letter 'r'!
Here are the most important ones to memorise:
| Infinitive | Irregular stem | Future form (I will...) |
|---|---|---|
| decir (to say) | dir- | diré |
| haber (there is/are) | habr- | habré |
| hacer (to make/do) | har- | haré |
| poder (to be able to) | podr- | podré |
| querer (to want) | querr- | querré |
| sabre (to know) | sabr- | sabré |
| salir (to leave) | saldr- | saldré |
| tener (to have) | tendr- | tendré |
| venir (to come) | vendr- | vendré |
| poner (to put) | pondr- | pondré |
Example in Context: El año que viene será difícil encontrar un buen trabajo. (Next year it will be difficult to find a good job.)
Notice how "será" comes from the irregular verb "ser" using the stem "ser-" + "á" ending.
Immediate future tense
The immediate future tense expresses what you're going to do, especially when talking about plans or things that will happen soon. It's similar to the English "going to" construction.
Formation
The immediate future uses the present tense of the verb ir (to go) + a + infinitive:
| Person | 'ir' conjugation | + a + infinitive |
|---|---|---|
| yo | voy | a + infinitive |
| tú | vas | a + infinitive |
| él/ella | va | a + infinitive |
| nosotros | vamos | a + infinitive |
| vosotros | vais | a + infinitive |
| ellos/ellas | van | a + infinitive |
Formation Examples:
- Vamos a ir a la fiesta. (We're going to go to the festival.)
- ¿Vas a comer algo? (Are you going to eat something?)
- Voy a salir esta tarde. (I'm going to go out this afternoon.)
Notice the pattern: conjugated form of "ir" + "a" + any infinitive verb.
Time expressions for the future
To make your future statements clearer, use these time expressions:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| mañana | tomorrow |
| esta noche | tonight |
| mañana por la mañana | tomorrow morning |
| el próximo viernes | next Friday |
Time expressions typically come at the beginning or end of a sentence in Spanish. They help clarify exactly when the future action will take place.
When to use each future tense
Understanding when to use each tense is crucial for natural-sounding Spanish.
Use the standard future tense when talking about definite future events or making predictions:
Standard Future Usage: Si llueve, iremos al cine. (If it rains, we will go to the cinema.)
This expresses a prediction or conditional future event.
Use the immediate future tense when talking about plans or intentions, especially immediate ones:
Immediate Future Usage: En Barcelona va a comprar recuerdos. (He's going to buy souvenirs in Barcelona.)
This expresses a planned activity or intention.
The immediate future tense is more commonly used in spoken Spanish for near-future events, while the standard future tense sounds more formal and is often used for predictions or distant future events.
Grammar tips
Key Grammar Points:
- The future tense endings are the same for all verbs (regular and irregular)
- Many irregular future stems end with the letter 'r'
- The immediate future is more commonly used in spoken Spanish for near-future events
- Both tenses can often be used interchangeably, but the immediate future sounds more natural for planned activities
Useful vocabulary
Here are essential time expressions for discussing future events:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el año que viene | next year |
| la semana próxima | next week |
| dentro de poco | soon |
| más tarde | later |
| en el futuro | in the future |
| mañana | tomorrow |
| pasado mañana | the day after tomorrow |
Translation practice
Translation Exercise:
Spanish to English:
- Nunca fumaré.
- Vamos a cambiar el mundo.
English to Spanish: 3. I will help other people. 4. Tomorrow I'm going to play tennis.
Answers:
- I will never smoke.
- We're going to change the world.
- Ayudaré a otras personas.
- Mañana voy a jugar al tenis.
Key Points to Remember:
- Add future endings (-é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án) directly to infinitives for regular verbs
- Learn the irregular stems for common verbs like hacer → haré and tener → tendré
- Use immediate future (ir + a + infinitive) for plans and immediate intentions
- Standard future tense is used for predictions and definite future events
- Time expressions help clarify when future actions will happen