Spanish Future Tense
Updated October 30, 2026
To form the Spanish future tense, add -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis or -án to the whole infinitive: hablaré, comerás, vivirá. In everyday speech, ir a + infinitive (voy a comer) is more common for plans. WanderMundo, an AI language learning app, lets you practice both by talking about your plans with an AI tutor.
How do you form the future tense in Spanish?
Keep the whole infinitive and add one set of endings. The same endings work for -ar, -er and -ir verbs, which makes the future one of the easiest tenses in Spanish.
Every form has a written accent except nosotros: hablaré, hablarás, hablará, but hablaremos. The accent tells you where the stress falls.
Regular future: hablar, comer, vivir
| Person | Ending | hablar (to speak) | comer (to eat) | vivir (to live) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 / ellas / ustedes | -án | hablarán | comerán | vivirán |
Which verbs are irregular in the future?
Only the stem changes; the endings stay the same. There are 12 common irregular stems, and they fall into three groups: verbs that lose a vowel, verbs that swap the vowel for a d, and two short ones.
Verbs built on these also follow the pattern: mantener → mantendré, componer → compondré, deshacer → desharé.
The 12 irregular future stems
| Infinitive | Stem | yo form | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| tener | tendr- | tendré | I will have |
| poner | pondr- | pondré | I will put |
| salir | saldr- | saldré | I will leave / go out |
| venir | vendr- | vendré | I will come |
| valer | valdr- | valdrá | it will be worth |
| poder | podr- | podré | I will be able to |
| saber | sabr- | sabré | I will know |
| haber | habr- | habrá | there will be |
| querer | querr- | querré | I will want |
| caber | cabr- | cabrá | it will fit |
| hacer | har- | haré | I will do / make |
| decir | dir- | diré | I will say |
Groups: add d (tener, poner, salir, venir, valer); drop the e (poder, saber, haber, querer, caber); short stems (hacer, decir).
When do you use ir a + infinitive instead?
Use ir a + infinitive for plans and things that are about to happen: «Voy a llamar a mi madre esta noche.» (I'm going to call my mom tonight.) Conjugate only ir; the second verb stays in the infinitive.
It is more common in everyday speech because it feels close and concrete, like English "going to". The simple future (llamaré) sounds a little more formal or distant, and it shows up more in writing, promises, predictions and news. Many learners can talk about the future for months using only voy a + verb, and that is fine.
ir a + infinitive
| Person | ir | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | voy a | Voy a viajar en julio. | I'm going to travel in July. |
| tú | vas a | ¿Qué vas a hacer mañana? | What are you going to do tomorrow? |
| él / ella / usted | va a | Va a llover. | It's going to rain. |
| nosotros | vamos a | Vamos a cenar fuera. | We're going to eat out. |
| vosotros | vais a | ¿Vais a venir? | Are you all going to come? |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | van a | Van a mudarse. | They're going to move. |
Which future form should you choose?
Spanish has three ways to talk about the future. The present tense also works for fixed plans with a time word: «Mañana trabajo.» (I'm working tomorrow.) Use this table as a guide.
Choosing a future form
| You want to say… | Best form | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| A plan or intention | ir a + infinitive | Voy a estudiar esta tarde. | I'm going to study this afternoon. |
| A fixed, scheduled plan | present + time word | El tren sale a las ocho. | The train leaves at eight. |
| A prediction | simple future | Mañana hará calor. | It will be hot tomorrow. |
| A promise | simple future | Te llamaré, te lo prometo. | I'll call you, I promise. |
| A guess about now | simple future | Estará en casa. | He's probably at home. |
What is the future of probability?
Spanish uses the simple future to guess or wonder about the present. «¿Qué hora será?» does not mean "what time will it be?"; it means "I wonder what time it is". «Serán las diez» means "it's probably about ten".
More everyday examples: «Tendrá unos cuarenta años.» (He must be about forty.) «¿Dónde estará mi móvil?» (Where could my phone be?) «Estarán cansados.» (They must be tired.) This use is very common in conversation, and hearing it is a sign your listening is reaching B1.
What are the most common future tense mistakes?
These are the slips an AI tutor flags most often when learners talk about their plans.
- «Voy a comeré» → «Voy a comer». After ir a, the verb stays in the infinitive.
- «Teneré» → «Tendré». Tener is irregular: tendr- + ending.
- «Haceré» → «Haré». Hacer shortens to har-.
- «Hablare» → «Hablaré». Without the accent the stress moves and the word changes.
- «Hablarémos» → «Hablaremos». Nosotros has no written accent.
Practice: 5 future tense questions
Write or say the future form. Then check the answers below.
- 1. Mañana yo ___ (tener) tiempo. (Tomorrow I'll have time.)
- 2. ¿Tú ___ (venir) a la fiesta? (Will you come to the party?)
- 3. Nosotros ___ (viajar) a Perú en mayo. (We'll travel to Peru in May.)
- 4. Ellos ___ (decir) la verdad. (They'll tell the truth.)
- 5. Say it with ir a: "I'm going to buy bread."
Answers
| Question | Answer | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | tendré | Irregular stem tendr- + -é. |
| 2 | vendrás | Irregular stem vendr- + -ás. |
| 3 | viajaremos | Regular: viajar + -emos, no accent. |
| 4 | dirán | Irregular stem dir- + -án. |
| 5 | Voy a comprar pan. | voy a + infinitive. |
How can you practice the future tense with WanderMundo?
Talk about your weekend plans, your next trip or your goals for the year with an AI tutor, and get a correction card under any sentence with a mistake. Missions in each scenario give you two or three goals, so you actually use the forms instead of just reading them.
In the structured Spanish path, Unit 12 ("Going to: ir a + verb") teaches the spoken future and Unit 18 ("Will: hablaré, comeré") teaches the simple future, each with a grammar tip card in plain English and short 3 to 5 minute lessons. Open the Spanish path, or try the 1-minute mini lesson on this page with no sign-up. See pricing for plans, or visit the WanderMundo home page.
Who it's for
- Learners at A2 and B1 who want to talk about plans
- Anyone who mixes up voy a comer and comeré
- Learners who want to hear and use the future of probability
Who it's not for
- People who need an official grammar certificate
- Learners who only want written drills with no speaking
Frequently asked questions
Do Spanish speakers use the future tense much?
Yes, but in speech ir a + infinitive is more common for plans. The simple future is used for predictions, promises, formal writing and guesses like ¿Qué hora será?
Are the future endings the same for -ar, -er and -ir verbs?
Yes. All three groups add -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án to the whole infinitive.
Does nosotros have an accent in the future?
No. It is hablaremos, comeremos, viviremos. Every other form has a written accent.
What is the difference between voy a comer and comeré?
Voy a comer is a plan or something about to happen (I'm going to eat). Comeré is a more neutral or formal "I will eat", often used for predictions and promises.
Is the conditional related to the future?
Yes. The conditional uses the same irregular stems with -ía endings: tendría, haría, podría. Learn the future first and the conditional comes easily.
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