In this video presentation you will learn the general rules for Spanish conjugation of verbs in the:

• Futuro (Future) tense
• Indicativo (Indicative) mood

More information on how to conjugate both regular and irregular verbs in this tense, as well as example sentences, may be found below the video.

Note the tense timeline

The ability to properly locate the desired position on the timeline is a crucial skill for proper use of tenses. So pay attention to the timeline in our lessons and visualize it while speaking, listening, writing and reading. After some practice you’ll be able to select the right tense to use much easier.

Video Presentation

How to create and use the Future tense in Spanish

The Futuro tense is one of the easiest Spanish tenses, because:

• The basis for its conjugation is simply the infinitive of a verb
• The exceptions are trivial and happen almost only in case of a few most important verbs
• In this tense we use the exact same endings in each of the three conjugation groups (-ar, -er, -ir). Even in case of the irregular verbs the endings stay the same as in regular Futuro conjugation
• The conjugation is very similar to the Conditional tense and the exceptions are identical
• It has handy and simple to use alternatives

The full name of this tense, which you may sometimes encounter, is Futuro Imperfecto de Indicativo. Let’s take a look at its conjugation, usage and examples.

Regular verb conjugation in Spanish Future tense

The vast majority of Spanish verbs conjugate regularly in the Future tense. The conjugation is based on the entire, unchanged infinitive of the verb to which we add endings specific to each grammatical person.

Check out the image showing all the endings. Note the shapes and colors of the letters. It should help you find patterns and make it easier to remember them. These endings are the same in all three conjugation groups: -ar, -er and -ir. They stay the same also in the irregular conjugation, which is described below.

For example, that’s how estar conjugation looks like in Futuro Imperfecto de Indicativo:

So we can see it’s the entire estar- at the beginning of each form, to which the appropriate endings are added.

Irregular verbs in the Futuro tense

There are only several Spanish verbs which conjugate irregularly in Futuro. In case of these verbs, instead of using their infinitive to create each grammatical person’s form, we use an irregular stem. To this stem we add the exact same endings as in regular conjugation.

Here is a list of the irregular verbs and their stems. These irregular stems need to be memorized. Luckily there are just a few of them and the same stems are used also in the Conditional tense, only the endings differ:

In order to create an inflected form for any person, simply take the irregular stem and add to it the appropriate ending, just as in the regular conjugation presented above. For instance, this is how tener conjugation looks like in Futuro Imperfecto de Indicativo:

When do we use the Future tense in Spanish

The Future tense is used in Spanish in several ways:

• To describe actions and events in the future

  Creo que el examen no será demasiado difícil, pero estoy estresado.

  I think the exam will not be too difficult, but I’m stressed out.
  El mes que viene terminaré mi curso y comenzaré a trabajar.

  Next month I will finish my course and start working.
  Tengo demasiadas cosas para hacer asi que no sé si podré ir a la fiesta.

  I have too much stuff to do so I don’t know if will be able to go to the party.
  Estoy segura que volverán pronto pero les llamaré si insistes.

  I’m sure they will be back soon, but I will call them if you insist.

• In conditional statements

  Si me queda tiempo y dinero, visitaré a mi tía en Bolivia.

  If I have time and money left, I will visit my aunt in Bolivia.
  Si se lo dices al jefe, serás mi héroe.

  If you tell it to the boss, you will be my hero.

• To make hypothesis and express suppositions or inaccuracy in the present

  Ella tiene sólo 22 años, pero creo que tendrá como mínimo seis victorias en su cuenta.

  She is only 22, but I think she has at least six victories in her account
  No tengo un reloj, pero serán las doce, más o menos.

  I don’t have a watch, but it will be twelve or so.

  Note that to make hypothesis in the past, we would use the Conditional tense.

• To express an intense demand or an order

  ¡Beberás la leche!

  You WILL drink the milk!

Time expressions used in Spanish Future tense

The following time expressions are often used with Futuro Imperfecto de Indicativo. But they are also useful when talking about the future in general, regardless of the tense or construction used:

The alternatives to using the Futuro tense

Not only is the Future tense one of the simplest tenses in Spanish conjugation, but it has very handy alternatives as well. Additionally, in many cases, the alternatives are even more common and natural way of speaking. Nevertheless, the Future tense is widely used and it is still worth learning its straightforward rules.

The first alternative is simply using the Presente (Present) tense when talking about the nearest future or something that is certain to happen. For instance hablamos pronto may be used instead of hablaremos pronto in the following sentence, ending a phone conversation:

The other alternative is using the ubiquitous ir + a + infinitive construction:

Next Steps

• For exercises and examples for practicing conjugation in the Future tense, visit our Exercise section. In order to practice this tense only, go to the Select tenses to include in exercises and conjugation configuration section and leave only the Futuro tense checked
• To see conjugation charts for all Spanish tenses, including the Futuro, visit the Conjugator and type any Spanish verb into the search box
• To explore other learning materials visit the Study section or use the Search to find articles and step by step conjugation guides for particular verbs