5.1 The future
Forms of the future tense
Y, ¿cuándo te irás?
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5.1 The future
• The future tense (el futuro) takes the same endings for
all –ar, –er, and –ir verbs. For regular verbs, the endings
are added to the infinitive.
¡ATENCIÓN!
Note that all of the future tense endings carry a
written accent except in the nosotros form.
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5.1 The future
• For verbs with irregular future stems, the same endings
are added to the irregular stem.
© and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc.
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5.1 The future
Uses of the future tense
• In Spanish, as in English, the future tense is one of many
ways to express actions or conditions that will happen in
the future.
¡ATENCIÓN!
The future tense is
used less frequently
in Spanish than in
English.
Te llamo mañana.
I’ll call you tomorrow.
Espero que vengan.
I hope they will come.
© and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc.
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5.1 The future
• The English word will can refer either to future time or to
someone’s willingness to do something. To express
willingness, Spanish uses the verb querer + [infinitive],
not the future tense.
¿Quieres contribuir a la
protección del medio
ambiente?
Quiero ayudar, pero no sé
por dónde empezar.
Will you contribute to the
I’ll help, but I don’t know
protection of the environment? where to begin.
© and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc.
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5.1 The future
• In Spanish, the future tense may be used to express
conjecture or probability, even about present events.
English expresses this in various ways, using words and
expressions such as wonder, bet, must be, may, might,
and probably.
¿Qué hora será?
Ya serán las dos de la mañana.
I wonder what time it is.
It must be 2 a.m. by now.
¿Estará lloviendo en
Medellín?
Hará un poco de sol y un poco
de viento.
Do you think it’s raining in
Medellín?
It’s probably a bit sunny and
windy.
© and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc.
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5.1 The future
• When the present subjunctive follows a conjunction of
time like cuando, después (de) que, en cuanto, hasta
que, and tan pronto como, the future tense is often
used in the main clause of the sentence.
Nos quedaremos lejos de la costa hasta que pase el huracán.
We’ll stay far from the coast until the hurricane passes.
En cuanto termine de llover, regresaremos a casa.
As soon as it stops raining, we’ll go back home.
Tan pronto como salga el sol, iré a la playa a tomar fotos.
As soon as the sun comes up, I’ll go to the beach to take photos.
© and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc.
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