The Spanish Future: Ir a and the Simple Future
Two common ways to talk about the future in Spanish, and when to use each one.
Spanish has two main ways to talk about the future.
Ir a + infinitive
The easiest is the near future, made with ir a plus an infinitive:
| Subject | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | voy a |
| tú | vas a |
| él / ella | va a |
| nosotros | vamos a |
| vosotros | vais a |
| ellos | van a |
- Voy a estudiar esta noche. I'm going to study tonight.
- Vamos a viajar en verano. We're going to travel in summer.
The simple future
Add endings to the whole infinitive:
-é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án
- hablaré, I will speak
- comerás, you will eat
- vivirá, he will live
- iremos, we will go
Irregular stems
A few verbs change the stem, but keep the same endings:
| Verb | Stem | Example |
|---|---|---|
| tener | tendr- | tendré |
| hacer | har- | haré |
| poder | podr- | podré |
| decir | dir- | diré |
| venir | vendr- | vendré |
| salir | saldr- | saldré |
Which to use
- Ir a is common in everyday speech for plans.
- The simple future is common in writing, promises, predictions and formal speech.
- The present can also express a near future: Mañana voy a Madrid.
Other uses
The simple future can express probability: ¿Dónde estará Juan? I wonder where Juan is.
Future time words
- mañana, tomorrow
- pasado mañana, the day after tomorrow
- la semana que viene, next week
- el año próximo, next year
Tips
- Start with ir a.
- Learn the six irregular stems.
- Use the dictionary to check stems.
English Spanish Dictionary
Offline English–Spanish dictionary with gender and accents handled properly
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