The Future Tense/ Future Probability Introduction There are 3 basic ways to talk about the future in Spanish. 1. The present tense Estudio mañana. Te visitamos este fin de semana.

I'll study tomorrow. 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 throughout this lesson. Formation The future tense is formed by adding the following endings to the infinitive form: -é

-emos

-ás

-éis

-á

-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

I will speak

hablaremos we will speak

hablarás

you will speak

hablaréis

hablará

he/she/you [formal] will speak hablarán

Yo hablaré español mañana. Ella comerá postre después de la cena. ¿Dónde vivirás en diez años?

you guys will speak [informal, Spain] they/you all [formal] will speak

I will speak Spanish tomorrow. She will eat dessert after dinner. 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

Yo Form

cabrhabrpodrquerrsabrpondrsaldrvaldrvendrdirharvaldr-

cabré habré podré querré sabré pondré saldré tendré valdré vendré diré 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. Conjecture or wonder Alguien toca la puerta, ¿quién será?

Who has the key to the hotel room? María probably has it.

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.

Fluency

I wonder what time it is. It must be about 6:00.

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