The future tense (Futur I) is mostly used to express assumptions about the present or future in German. We can also use this tense to express future intentions, although, in spoken German, it is more common to use the present tense for this. We can translate the future tense with the English tenses: simple present or future with will or going to.
Learn the rules for the German future tense amd understand how and when to use it. Practise verb conjugation and test you grammar skills with exercises.
Using future tense in German means that we need to use the auxiliary verb "werden". It has the same function as "will" in the English "will Future". By the help of "werden", we can express that the meaning of the sentence is regarding the future.
The conjugation of 'werden'
- Ich werde - Du wirst - er/sie/es wird
- wir werden - ihr werdet - sie/Sie werden
Examples:
- Ich werde dich sehen
- Ich werde mit einem Stift schreiben
- Du wirst Äpfel lieben.
- Du wirst Tennis spielen.
- Er wird ein Buch lesen.
- Er wird mich verstehen.
- Wir werden dich sehen wollen.
- Wir werden an dich denken.
- Ihr werdet hier arbeiten.
- Ihr werdet Französisch sprechen.
- Sie werden ein Auto fahren.
Sentence structure in Futur 1
Now, as like as when using Perfekt tense or modal verbs, we also need to remember in the future tense, that using more than one verb, will make the second and third verb go to the end of the sentence (except of subordinate clauses). Additionally, the second and third verb will be in the infinitive form as we already have a verb we have conjugated according to the referring person.
- Ich werde am Dienstag um 18 Uhr ins Schwimmbad gehen.
- Meine Freunde werden dieses Jahr zu Weihnachten nach Hause fahren.
- Die Kinder in der Schule werden heute keine Hausaufgaben bekommen.
Future or no Future in German?
In every language there are words that indicates the sentences in future tense. These in German are for example: 'morgen' (tomorrow), 'nächsten Jahr' (next year), 'im Dezember' (in December), and so on.
When we build a sentence regarding a future action or assumptions we do not need to use werden verb to conjugate the noun. Because the sentence will already be expressing a future meaning.
- Morgen gehe ich in den Supermarkt.
(Tomorrow I will go to the supermarket.)
- Meine Freunde fliegen nächsten Monat nach Portugal)
(My friends will fly to Portugal next month.)
- An Ostern fahre ich zu meinen Eltern.
(At Easter I will go (by car) to my parent.)
Also we often strengthen assumptions by using words such as: wohl, sicher, bestimmt (likely/probably, surely, certainly). Since these words clearly show that we are making an assumption, we can also use the present tense here.
- Es wird wohl schon spät sein.
(It will probably be late already.)
- Es ist wohl scho spät.
(It is probably late already.)
- Er wird sicher keine Zeit haben.
(He will surely have no time.)
- Er hat sicher keine Zeit.
(He surely has no time.)
- Sie wird bestimmt zu Hause sein.
(She will certainly be at home.)
- Sie ist bestimmt zu Hause.
(She is certainly at home.)
In daily spoken German language, native speakers do not use the future tense generally. The future tense is being used to make assumptions or predictions, and usually when you want to make an assumption in German language you will say more likely; "Ich vermute, dass ..." (I assume/ suppose that...) or, "Ich schätze, dass..." (I guess that...) and so on.
It is however, much more elegant if, instead of using these phrases, we simply use the future tense.
Because these sentences are too complicated. Specifically, they consist of a main clause and a subordinate clause.
Examples:
- Was macht Paul in Deutschland?
- Ich weiß nicht, ich vermute, dass er dort Deutsch lernt.
(What is Paul doing in Germany? - I don't know. I suppose that he learns German)
Besser und eleganter geht es mit dem Futur 1:
- Ich weiß nicht, er wird Deutsch lernen.
(I don't know, I suppose, he learns German)
Both variations mean the same thing, but the second one is more simple, because we only require a simple main clause in order to express our assumption.
Often we also use the future tense 1, in order to express hopes.
Often this is in combination with "nicht" (not) or with the modal particle "schon" (already/yet).
Examples:
- Mach dir keine Sorgen; es wird schon nichts passieren.
(Don't worry, it will be alright.)
- Es wird schon alles gut gehen.
(It will work out alright.)
- Er wird schon auf sich aufpassen.
(He is smart enough to look after himself.)
- Es wird morgen schon nicht regen.
(I am confident it will not rain tomorrow.)
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