Do you want to know how to use will in Spanish? Whether you are making plans for the weekend, for a party, for visiting a museum, or simply planning your vacation for next year, you have to use the future. Even something as simple as the icebreaker: Do you think that it is going to rain tomorrow? (¿crees qué lloverá mañana?), implies using the future. This is why, it is really important to know how to use the different ways of expressing the future. Let´s start.

Ir a + Infinitive

For probably any speaker, the easiest way to express the future in Spanish is by using the construction: ir a+ infinitive. Let´s take a look below in order to see how we use it.

Ir a (going to) in present is conjugated as follows:

• Yo voy a
• Tú vas a
• Él- Ella- Usted va a
• Nosotros vamos a
• Vosotros vais a
• Ellos- Ellas- Ustedes van a

Now, let´s make some sentences for each person:

Examples:

• Yo voy a ir a la playa la este fin de semana. (I am going to go to the beach this weekend)
• Tú vas a salir con tus amigos después de acabar el trabajo. (You are going to go out with your friends after you finish work)
• Él va a aprender a nadar este verano. (He is going to learn how to swim this summer)
• Nosotros vamos a comprarnos algo para comer esta noche. (We are going to buy something to eat for tonight)
• Vosotros vais a visitar el nuevo museo de bellas artes. (You are going to visit the museum of fine arts)
• Ellas van a comer un plato típico peruano. (They are going to eat a typical Peruvian dish.)

Notice that I am writing the subject so you see it, but it is not needed.

It is important to note that the expression ir a+ infinitive is usually used to express near future, for periods that have not yet ended like this week, today, in a couple of hours.

Voy a ir a la piscina esta semana.

The present with future meaning

Sometimes, you do not have to learn something new in order to express the future. It might be even easier than you think. The present can be used to express the future when the subject thinks that the future action will happen for sure. Let´s take a look at some examples.

Examples: La cita es el lunes. (The date is on Monday)

• Miguel vuelve mañana del viaje. (Tomorrow, Miguel comes back from his trip.)

The future tense

Finally, it is time to learn the future tense. It is the most complicated option out of the three ways to express the future. However, all three verb types (-AR.-ER, -IR) use the same conjugations.

The future is formed from Verb (infinitive case) + the following:

-é

-ás

-á

-emos

-éis

-án

Let´s take three verbs and conjugate them:

Cantar

Yo cantaré

Tú cantarás

Él cantará

Nosotros cantaremos

Vosotros cantaréis

Ellos cantarán

Comer

Yo comeré

Tú comerás

Él comerá

Nosotros comeremos

Vosotros comeréis

Ellos comerán

Ir

Yo iré

Tú irás

Él irá

Nosotros iremos

Vosotros iréis

Ellos irán

Now that you know these three ways of expressing the future, it is time to start making plans. Do keep in mind that the future tense also has some exceptions, but that is a future lesson to be discussed. Wanna practice your Spanish?