In Spanish there are two main ways to express the future: the immediate future using ir a + infinitive (equivalent to "going to" in English) and the simple future tense (futuro simple). Understanding when to use each — and mastering the conjugations — gives you the ability to make plans, predictions and offers in natural, flowing Spanish.
The Immediate Future: Ir a + Infinitive
This is the most commonly used future construction in everyday spoken Spanish — equivalent to "going to" in English. It describes plans, intentions and near-future events:
Formula: present tense of ir + a + infinitive
| Present of Ir | + a + Infinitive | Example |
|---|---|---|
| voy | a estudiar | Voy a estudiar esta noche. — I am going to study tonight. |
| vas | a comer | ¿Vas a comer aquí? — Are you going to eat here? |
| va | a llegar | Va a llegar tarde. — She is going to arrive late. |
| vamos | a visitar | Vamos a visitar España. — We are going to visit Spain. |
| vais | a hacer | ¿Qué vais a hacer? — What are you going to do? |
| van | a salir | Van a salir pronto. — They are going to leave soon. |
When to Use Ir a + Infinitive
- Plans and intentions already decided:
Esta noche voy a cenar con mis amigos. — Tonight I am going to have dinner with my friends. - Near future events:
Va a llover esta tarde. — It is going to rain this afternoon. - What you are about to do:
Vamos a empezar la clase. — We are going to start the class. - Predictions based on visible evidence:
Mira las nubes — va a tormentar. — Look at the clouds — it is going to storm.
The Simple Future Tense (Futuro Simple)
The simple future is used for more distant future events, predictions not based on immediate evidence, promises and offers. It is formed by adding endings directly to the infinitive — making it one of the easiest tenses to form in Spanish.
Regular Future Tense Conjugation
The same endings apply to ALL verbs — -AR, -ER and -IR — added to the complete infinitive:
| Pronoun | Ending | Hablar | Comer | Vivir |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | -é | hablaré | comeré | viviré |
| tú | -ás | hablarás | comerás | vivirás |
| él/ella/usted | -á | hablará | comerá | vivirá |
| nosotros | -emos | hablaremos | comeremos | viviremos |
| vosotros | -éis | hablaréis | comeréis | viviréis |
| ellos/ustedes | -án | hablarán | comerán | vivirán |
Key Irregular Future Stems
Twelve important verbs use an irregular stem — but keep the same endings:
| Infinitive | Irregular stem | yo form | ellos form |
|---|---|---|---|
| tener (to have) | tendr- | tendré | tendrán |
| venir (to come) | vendr- | vendré | vendrán |
| poner (to put) | pondr- | pondré | pondrán |
| salir (to leave) | saldr- | saldré | saldrán |
| valer (to be worth) | valdr- | valdré | valdrán |
| poder (can) | podr- | podré | podrán |
| querer (to want) | querr- | querré | querrán |
| saber (to know) | sabr- | sabré | sabrán |
| haber (auxiliary) | habr- | habré | habrán |
| hacer (to do) | har- | haré | harán |
| decir (to say) | dir- | diré | dirán |
| ir (to go) — regular! | ir- | iré | irán |
When to Use the Simple Future
- Distant future events and plans:
El año que viene, viviré en España. — Next year, I will live in Spain.
Algún día hablaré español perfectamente. — One day I will speak Spanish perfectly. - Promises:
Te llamaré mañana. — I will call you tomorrow.
Te ayudaré con el trabajo. — I will help you with the work. - Predictions (especially weather, long-range):
Mañana hará mucho calor. — Tomorrow it will be very hot.
En 2050, habrá más de diez mil millones de personas en el mundo. — In 2050, there will be more than 10 billion people in the world. - Expressing probability about the present (conjectural future):
¿Dónde estará Juan? — Estará en casa. — Where is Juan? — He is probably at home.
Tendrá unos cuarenta años. — He must be about forty years old. - After si (if) — only with si + present:
Si hace buen tiempo, iremos a la playa. — If the weather is nice, we will go to the beach.
Ir a vs Simple Future: When to Choose
| Situation | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Planned / decided in advance | ir a + infinitive | Voy a reservar el hotel esta tarde. |
| Near future (happens soon) | ir a + infinitive | Va a llover — mira las nubes. |
| Distant future | Simple future | Viviré en España algún día. |
| Promise or commitment | Simple future | Te llamaré esta noche, te lo juro. |
| Spontaneous decision (just decided now) | Simple future | Hace frío — me pondré el abrigo. |
| Probability / conjecture about present | Simple future | ¿Dónde estará? — Estará trabajando. |
| Conditional sentence (si + present) | Simple future | Si tienes tiempo, vendrás conmigo. |
The Future Perfect (Futuro Perfecto)
Formed with the future of haber + past participle, the future perfect expresses what will have happened by a certain point:
- Para las diez, ya habremos llegado. — By ten o'clock, we will have already arrived.
- ¿Habrás terminado el informe para el viernes? — Will you have finished the report by Friday?
- Para cuando llegues, ya habrá comido. — By the time you arrive, she will have already eaten.
Future Time Expressions
- mañana — tomorrow
- pasado mañana — the day after tomorrow
- esta tarde / esta noche — this afternoon / tonight
- el próximo lunes / mes / año — next Monday / month / year
- la semana que viene — next week
- en dos semanas — in two weeks
- dentro de un mes — within a month
- algún día — some day
- en el futuro — in the future
- pronto — soon
- más tarde — later
Practice Sentences
Translate these into Spanish using the most natural future form:
- I am going to study Spanish this evening.
- Tomorrow it will be sunny.
- We will visit Madrid next year.
- I will call you later, I promise.
- What are you going to do at the weekend?
- She must be about thirty. (conjecture)
- If we have time, we will go to the Prado.
- By 2030, many more Australians will speak Spanish.
Suggested answers: 1-Voy a estudiar español esta tarde. / 2-Mañana hará sol. / 3-El año que viene visitaremos Madrid. / 4-Te llamaré luego, te lo prometo. / 5-¿Qué vas a hacer el fin de semana? / 6-Tendrá unos treinta años. / 7-Si tenemos tiempo, iremos al Prado. / 8-Para 2030, muchos más australianos hablarán español.