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El futuro.

The simple future tense — "I will, you will, they will". One set of endings shared across all three verb groups, slapped onto the whole infinitive. Twelve verbs have irregular stems but exactly the same endings. Below: when to use it, how to form it, time markers, model sentences, common mistakes, and a 60-second drill.

When to use it

"I will" — predictions, promises, distant plans

Use the simple future for predictions ("It will rain"), promises ("I'll call you"), distant plans ("Next year I will travel to Mexico"), and speculation about the present ("She'll be about 30").

For day-to-day "I'm going to do X" the near future ( voy a hacer ) feels more natural. The simple future shows off your range and earns higher marks in GCSE writing — try to weave it in alongside the near future for tense variety.

Model sentence

El año que viene viajaré a México.

Next year I will travel to Mexico.

How to form it

Future endings — one set for all verbs

Endings on the whole infinitive. The future is unusual: for regular verbs, you don't strip the -ar/-er/-ir off. You add the endings to the whole word. hablar → hablaré. comer → comeré. vivir → viviré. All three groups share identical endings.

-AR verbs

e.g. hablar — to speak

yohablaré
túhablarás
él / ellahablará
nosotroshablaremos
vosotroshablaréis
elloshablarán

-ER verbs

e.g. comer — to eat

yocomeré
túcomerás
él / ellacomerá
nosotroscomeremos
vosotroscomeréis
elloscomerán

-IR verbs

e.g. vivir — to live

yoviviré
túvivirás
él / ellavivirá
nosotrosviviremos
vosotrosviviréis
ellosvivirán

Accent watch: Every ending takes an accent except the nosotros form. Lose the accent and you change the meaning — hablo means "I speak", hablaré means "I will speak".

Irregular stems (same endings)

Twelve verbs use a modified stem instead of the infinitive — but the endings are exactly the same. Memorise the stems, the endings come free.

tener to have tendr- · é · ás · á · emos · éis · án
salir to leave saldr- · é · ás · á · emos · éis · án
poner to put pondr- · é · ás · á · emos · éis · án
venir to come vendr- · é · ás · á · emos · éis · án
valer to be worth valdr- · é · ás · á · emos · éis · án
poder to be able podr- · é · ás · á · emos · éis · án
saber to know sabr- · é · ás · á · emos · éis · án
haber to have (aux) habr- · é · ás · á · emos · éis · án
caber to fit cabr- · é · ás · á · emos · éis · án
querer to want querr- · é · ás · á · emos · éis · án
decir to say dir- · é · ás · á · emos · éis · án
hacer to do / make har- · é · ás · á · emos · éis · án

Signal words

Time markers — words that signal the future

Time markers that point further forward — beyond "today" or "this week" — tend to trigger the simple future rather than the near future.

mañanatomorrow
la semana que vienenext week
el mes que vienenext month
el año que vienenext year
en el futuroin the future
dentro de dos añosin two years
algún díaone day / someday
en 2030in 2030
cuando sea mayorwhen I'm older
después de los exámenesafter the exams
prontosoon
a largo plazoin the long term

Model sentences

In real GCSE topics

Future plans El año que viene viajaré a México con mi mejor amigo. Next year I will travel to Mexico with my best friend.
Aspirations Algún día seré médico y trabajaré en un hospital. One day I will be a doctor and I'll work in a hospital.
Promises Te llamaré mañana cuando llegue a casa. I'll call you tomorrow when I get home.
Predictions En el futuro hablaré español perfectamente. In the future I will speak Spanish perfectly.
Speculation Tendrá unos treinta años. She must be about thirty.
Career Después de los exámenes, haré un curso de verano en España. After the exams, I'll do a summer course in Spain.

Where pupils slip up

Common mistakes

Don't strip the infinitive

For regular verbs, the endings go on the whole infinitive. Hablé (that's preterite) → hablaré (future).

The big twelve irregulars

Memorise the stems: tendr-, saldr-, pondr-, vendr-, valdr-, podr-, sabr-, habr-, cabr-, querr-, dir-, har-. Teneré → tendré.

Accents on five of six

Every future ending has an accent except nosotros. Hablare → hablaré. Hablaremos is correct without an accent.

Future vs conditional

Same stem, different endings. Hablaré = "I will speak" (future). Hablaría = "I would speak" (conditional). One letter, completely different meaning.

Will vs going to

If you mean "I'm going to do X soon" (a plan you've made), use the near future: voy a hacer. The simple future fits "I will" / predictions / promises / distant plans.

Mix the tenses in writing

For top marks: use voy a for one near-future plan and the simple future for a longer-term one in the same paragraph. Examiners reward range.

Drill · 60-second sprint

Conjugate the future

Future Sprint

You have 60 seconds. A pronoun + verb appears — pick the correct future-tense form from four options. The twelve big irregulars and the regular pool are mixed. Streak resets on a miss.

Best ever: 0

⏱ 60s Aciertos 0 🔥 Racha 0

Conjugate in the future

yo—

¡Tiempo!

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