The Future Tense/ Future Probability Introduction There are 3 basic ways to talk about the future in Spanish. 1. The present tense Estudio mañana. I'll study tomorrow. Te visitamos este fin de semana. We'll visit you this weekend. 2. Ir + a + infinitive Juan va a trabajar en la tienda. Juan is going to work at the store. Marta y yo vamos a comer a las cinco. Marta and I are going to eat at five o'clock. 3. The future tense This tense is used to refer to what will happen in the future. Examples will be given.
Formation The future tense is formed by adding the following endings to the infinitive form:
-é -ás -á
-emos -éis -án
The same endings are used for -ar, -er and -ir verbs. Notice that these endings are added to the infinitive form of the verb, NOT the verb stem.
hablar hablaré hablarás hablará
I will speak you will speak he/she/usted will speak
hablaremos hablaréis hablarán
we will speak you all will speak they/ustedes will speak
Yo hablaré español mañana.
I will speak Spanish tomorrow.
Ella comerá postre después de la cena.
She will eat dessert after dinner.
¿Dónde vivirás en diez años?
Where will you live in ten years?
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Irregular Form There are 12 verbs that have an irregular stem in the future tense. Here is a list of the irregular verbs and their irregular stems, along with the yo form of each for reference. Infinitive caber haber poder querer saber poner salir tener valer venir decir hacer
Future Stem cabrhabrpodrquerrsabrpondrsaldrtendrvaldrvendrdirhar-
Yo Form cabré habré Podré querré sabré pondré saldré tendré valdré vendré dire haré
Other Uses of the Future Tense Sometimes the future tense is used to express probability, conjecture or wonder, prediction, or approximation in reference to the present moment.
Probability ¿Quién tiene la llave del cuarto del hotel? La tendrá María.
Who has the key to the hotel room? María probably has it.
Conjecture or wonder Alguien toca la puerta, ¿quién será?
Someone’s knocking, I wonder who it is (who could it be?)
Prediction En 50 años habrá una mejor manera de viajar. In 50 years there will be a better way to travel. Approximation ¿Qué hora será? Serán las seis.
I wonder what time it is. It must be about 6:00.
© 2012 Middlebury Interactive Languages. All rights reserved. This material is intended for the exclusive use of registered users only. No portion of these materials may be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the express permission of Middlebury Interactive Languages.
