Ir a + infinitive: the everyday future
In conversation, plans are usually expressed with ir a + infinitive, like English “going to”. The simple future sounds more formal, more certain, or more distant.
ir a · speechboy ah yah-MAR ah AH-nah · “I’m going to call Ana.”
Voy(I) goatollamarto-calla(to)Ana.Ana
future · formalyah-mah-REH ah AH-nah · “I will call Ana.”
Llamaré(I) will-calla(to)Ana.Ana
ir a · speechbah ah yoh-BER · “It’s going to rain.”
Va(it) goesatollover.to-rain
future · formalyoh-beh-RAH · “It will rain.”
Lloverá.(it) will-rain
ir a · speechkeh bahs ah ah-THER · “What are you going to do?”
¿Quéwhatvas(you) goatohacer?to-do
future · formalkeh ah-RAHS · “What will you do?”
¿Quéwhatharás?(you) will-do
ir a · speechBAH-mohs ah BER · “Let’s see.”
Vamos(we) goatover.to-see
future · formalbeh-REH-mohs · “We shall see.”
Veremos.(we) will-see
The endings, for every verb
Unlike other tenses, the future and conditional are built on the whole infinitive (the dictionary form, ending in -ar, -er or -ir). Add the endings straight on: one set for all three verb groups. The irregular verbs only change the stem; the endings stay the same.
| Subject | Future · will | Conditional · would | |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | vivirébee-bee-REH | viviríabee-bee-REE-ah | |
| tú | vivirásbee-bee-RAHS | viviríasbee-bee-REE-ahs | |
| él, ella, usted | vivirábee-bee-RAH | viviríabee-bee-REE-ah | |
| nosotros | viviremosbee-bee-REH-mohs | viviríamosbee-bee-REE-ah-mohs | |
| vosotros | viviréisbee-bee-RAYS | viviríaisbee-bee-REE-ais | |
| ellos, ustedes | viviránbee-bee-RAN | viviríanbee-bee-REE-an |
The twelve irregular stems
Beyond time: probability and politeness
Guessing nowThe future expresses a guess about the present: “must be”, “I wonder”.DON-deh es-tah-RAH HWAN? es-tah-RAH en KAH-sah“Where can Juan be? He’s probably at home.”
¿Dóndewhereestará(he) will-beJuan?JuanEstará(he) will-beenatcasa.home
Guessing the pastThe conditional guesses about the past. The time is plural (las diez), so serían.seh-REE-an lahs DYETH KWAN-doh yeh-GOH“It must have been about ten when he arrived.”
Serían(they) would-belasthedieztencuandowhenllegó.(he) arrived
Polite requestsThe conditional softens a request: podría is gentler than puede.poh-DREE-ah ah-yoo-DAR-meh“Could you help me?”
¿Podría(you) couldayudarme?help-me
WishesGustaría is the polite way to say what you want, instead of quiero.meh goos-tah-REE-ah bee-ah-HAR“I’d like to travel.”
Meto-megustaríawould-pleaseviajar.to-travel
AdviceDeberías, “you should”, gives advice without sounding like an order.deh-beh-REE-ahs des-kan-SAR“You should rest.”
Deberías(you) shoulddescansar.to-rest
Si clauses: real and imagined
After si (if), Spanish never uses the future or conditional. For an imagined condition it uses the imperfect subjunctive.
| Type | si + … | result | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real | present | future | Siifllueve,(it) rainsmemyselfquedaré(I) will-stayenatcasa.home see YWEH-beh, meh keh-dah-REH en KAH-sah“If it rains, I’ll stay at home.” |
| Imagined now | imperfect subjunctive | conditional | Siiftuviera(I) had (subj.)dinero,moneyviajaría.(I) would-travel see too-BYEH-rah dee-NEH-roh, bee-ah-hah-REE-ah“If I had money, I’d travel.” |
| Imagined past | pluperfect subjunctive | past conditional | Siifhubiera(I) had (subj.)sabido,knownhabría(I) would-havevenido.come see oo-BYEH-rah sah-BEE-doh, ah-BREE-ah beh-NEE-doh“If I’d known, I would have come.” |
After cuando: subjunctive, not future
Cuando llegues, llámame
A trap: after cuando (when), en cuanto (as soon as) and hasta que (until) about the future, Spanish uses the present subjunctive (a verb form for things not yet real), never the future. The main clause takes the future or a command.
Cuandowhenllegues,you-arrivellámame.call-me
En cuantoas-soon-aspueda,I-cante escribiré.to-you I-will-write
EsperaréI-will-waithasta queuntilvuelvas.you-return
Perfect future and conditional
Habría ido, habrá terminado
Habrá + participle looks back from a future moment; habría + participle is what would have happened. Both also guess about the past: Habrá salido, “he must have gone out”.
- Future perfectA las ochoat eighthabré terminado.I-will-have finishedah lahs OH-choh ah-BREH tehr-mee-NAH-doh · “I’ll have finished by eight.”
- Guess about the pastHabráhe-will-havesalido.gone-outah-BRAH sah-LEE-doh · “He must have gone out.”
- Would haveHabría ido,I-would-have goneperobutllovía.it-was-rainingah-BREE-ah EE-doh, PEH-roh yoh-BEE-ah · “I would have gone, but it was raining.”
- Si clauseSiiflo hubiera sabido,it I-had knownte lo habría dicho.to-you it I-would-have saidsee loh oo-BYEH-rah sah-BEE-doh, teh loh ah-BREE-ah DEE-choh · “If I had known, I would have told you.”