Spanish grammar · Intermediate
Spanish Future Tense: Conjugation, Uses, and Examples
The Spanish future tense (futuro simple) predicts events or expresses what will happen. Built from the full infinitive + endings: -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án. Twelve verbs have irregular future stems (tendr-, pondr-, vendr-, saldr-, podr-, querr-, sabr-, habr-, cabr-, har-, dir-, querr-).
Hablaré con María mañana.
I'll speak with María tomorrow.
What it is
The Spanish future tense (futuro simple) predicts events or expresses what will happen. Built from the full infinitive plus endings: -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án. Same endings for -ar, -er, and -ir verbs. Twelve high-frequency verbs have irregular future stems (tendr-, pondr-, vendr-, etc.).
In Hablaré con María mañana (I'll speak with María tomorrow), hablaré is hablar + é. The infinitive stays intact, only endings change.
How to spot it
Look for verb forms ending in -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án. All carry accents except -emos. Same endings across -ar / -er / -ir.
- Hablaré con él. — I'll talk to him.
- Llegaremos pronto. — We'll arrive soon.
- Tendrás éxito. — You'll be successful. (irregular tendr-)
Spanish often prefers ir a + infinitive (Voy a hablar = I'm going to talk) for near future. The simple future is more formal or covers further-out predictions.
Spanish Future Tense Quick Reference
Spanish future tense, regular endings (same for -ar / -er / -ir)
| Person | Hablar | Comer | Vivir |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hablaré | comeré | viviré |
| tú | hablarás | comerás | vivirás |
| él/ella/Ud. | hablará | comerá | vivirá |
| nosotros | hablaremos | comeremos | viviremos |
| vosotros | hablaréis | comeréis | viviréis |
| ellos/Uds. | hablarán | comerán | vivirán |
Common Spanish Future Tense Examples in Spanish
Future tense covers predictions, promises, scheduled events, and conjecture:
Predictions / Forecasts
- Mañana lloverá.
- Tomorrow it will rain.
- Tendrás éxito en tu carrera.
- You'll be successful in your career.
- Esto cambiará todo.
- This will change everything.
Default for predictions about what will happen, weather, outcomes, fates.
Promises
- Te llamaré mañana.
- I'll call you tomorrow.
- Lo haré por ti.
- I'll do it for you.
- Volveremos pronto.
- We'll be back soon.
Future tense for promises, slightly more committed than ir a + infinitive.
Conjecture (Probability)
- Serán las cinco.
- It's probably five o'clock.
- Estará en casa.
- He's probably at home.
- Tendrá unos cuarenta años.
- She's probably around forty.
Spanish uses future to express probability about the present, different from English. Será él = It's probably him.
Strong Commands / Emphasis
- Harás lo que te digo.
- You'll do what I tell you.
- No matarás.
- Thou shalt not kill. (biblical / formal)
Future can express forceful commands or proclamations, biblical-style emphasis.
How to Form the Spanish Future Tense
Regular Future, Infinitive + Endings
Take the full infinitive (hablar, comer, vivir) and add: -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án. Same endings for all three verb types.
Hablaré, hablarás, hablará, hablaremos, hablaréis, hablarán. Comeré, comerás. Viviré, vivirás.
Endings stay constant; the full infinitive is the stem.
All forms carry accents except nosotros (-emos). The accent falls on the final syllable.
Twelve Irregular Future Stems
Twelve common verbs use irregular stems but the same endings. Tener → tendr-. Poner → pondr-. Venir → vendr-. Salir → saldr-. Poder → podr-. Querer → querr-. Saber → sabr-. Haber → habr-. Caber → cabr-. Hacer → har-. Decir → dir-. Querer → querr-.
Tendré, tendrás. Pondré, pondrás. Diré, dirás. Haré, harás.
Stem changes; endings stay identical.
Three patterns: -dr- (tendré, pondré, vendré, saldré, podré), shortened stem (haré, diré), -r- variations (querré, sabré, habré, cabré).
Future + Probability
Spanish uses the future to express probability about the present, what's probably true right now. Different meaning from will.
Será él. (probably him) ≠ Es él. (it's him)
He's probably him. vs. It's him.
If translated as probably + verb in English, that's the conjectural future. Common in casual speech.
Future vs. Ir A + Infinitive
Spanish has two future constructions: simple future (Hablaré = I'll speak) and ir a + infinitive (Voy a hablar = I'm going to speak). Ir a + inf is more common in casual speech for near future; simple future is more formal or for further-out predictions.
Voy a llamarte luego. (informal, near) Te llamaré mañana. (slightly more formal, definite).
I'm going to call you later. I'll call you tomorrow.
Both work, but ir a + inf dominates everyday speech in Latin America.
Common Mistakes with Spanish Future Tense
Incorrect: Yo tendré → Yo teneré. — I'll have. (irregular stem is tendr-, not tener-)
Correct: Yo tendré. — I'll have.
Tener's future uses the irregular stem tendr- (drops e, adds d). Same pattern: pondré, vendré, saldré.
Incorrect: Mañana llamare a María. — Tomorrow I'll call María. (wrong, missing accent on é)
Correct: Mañana llamaré a María. — Tomorrow I'll call María.
Future yo always carries an accent on the final é. Llamaré, hablaré, comeré, viviré.
Incorrect: Hablaré contigo mañana, será tarde. (mixing future tenses awkwardly) — Subtle, Spanish future conjecture has specific contexts.
Correct: Te hablaré mañana, probablemente sea tarde. — I'll talk to you tomorrow, it'll probably be late.
Two ways to express probability: future (Será tarde) or probablemente + subjunctive. Both work, but mixing them within one statement can sound awkward.
Future Forms, Quick Reference
Regular future endings are identical for -ar / -er / -ir. Twelve irregular stems use the same endings.
Regular Future (Hablar)
Full infinitive + endings.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Same endings for comer / vivir, comeré, viviré, etc.
Irregular -dr- Stem (Tener)
Tener → tendr- + same endings.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Same family: pondré, vendré, saldré, podré.
Shortened Stem (Hacer)
Hacer → har- + endings.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Decir follows the same: diré, dirás, dirá.
Probability Future (Estar)
Future of estar expresses probability about the present.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Estará en casa = He's probably at home. (Future used for present-time conjecture.)
Twelve Irregular Future Stems
Stems with -dr- (Drop E/I, Add D)
Five verbs drop the e or i of the infinitive and insert d before the future endings.
- Tener → tendr-: tendré, tendrás.
- Will have.
- Poner → pondr-: pondré, pondrás.
- Will put.
- Venir → vendr-: vendré, vendrás.
- Will come.
- Salir → saldr-: saldré, saldrás.
- Will leave.
- Poder → podr-: podré, podrás.
- Will be able to.
Same -dr- pattern in conditional too: tendría, pondría, vendría, saldría, podría.
Shortened Stems (Hacer, Decir)
Hacer and decir shorten their stems: har- and dir-.
- Hacer → har-: haré, harás, hará.
- Will do / make.
- Decir → dir-: diré, dirás, dirá.
- Will say.
Just two verbs, but high-frequency.
Other Irregulars (Querer, Saber, Haber, Caber)
Four more drop a vowel: querer → querr-, saber → sabr-, haber → habr-, caber → cabr-.
- Querer → querr-: querré, querrás.
- Will want.
- Saber → sabr-: sabré, sabrás.
- Will know.
- Haber → habr-: habré, habrás.
- Will have (auxiliary).
Habré is essential, used to form the future perfect (habré hablado = I will have spoken).
Spanish Future Tense FAQs
- What is the Spanish future tense and when do you use it?
- The Spanish future tense (futuro simple) predicts what will happen, events, promises, forecasts. Spanish also uses it for probability about the present (Será él = It's probably him). For near future in casual speech, ir a + infinitive is more common (Voy a hablar = I'm going to talk).
- How do you form the Spanish future tense?
- Take the full infinitive and add: -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án. Same endings for -ar / -er / -ir. All forms carry accents except nosotros. Hablaré, hablarás, hablará, hablaremos, hablaréis, hablarán.
- Which Spanish verbs are irregular in the future tense?
- Twelve verbs use irregular stems with the same endings: tener (tendr-), poner (pondr-), venir (vendr-), salir (saldr-), poder (podr-), querer (querr-), saber (sabr-), haber (habr-), caber (cabr-), hacer (har-), decir (dir-). Memorize these as a group.
- What's the difference between simple future and ir a + infinitive?
- Simple future (Hablaré) is more formal and often used for predictions / promises / further-out events. Ir a + infinitive (Voy a hablar) is more conversational and typically used for near future. Both are correct; native speakers use both.
- How can I get better at the Spanish future tense?
- Memorize the twelve irregular stems as a unit. Beyond that, exposure to native speakers using future in predictions and probability is the fastest path. Parrot's daily videos feature future tense in real contexts.