Future & Conditional

Ways to Express Future

Spanish has three main ways to talk about the future:

Ir + a + Infinitive (Going to)

The most common way to express future in conversation:

Conjugation of ir

Structure: ir + a + infinitive

Voy a estudiar esta noche.
(I'm going to study tonight.)

¿Qué vas a hacer mañana?
(What are you going to do tomorrow?)

Vamos a comer a las dos.
(We're going to eat at two.)

Ellos van a viajar a España.
(They're going to travel to Spain.)

Simple Future Tense

Regular Formation

Add endings to the whole infinitive (not the stem):

Note: Same endings for -AR, -ER, and -IR verbs!

Irregular Future Stems

These verbs have modified stems but use the same endings:

¿Qué harás mañana?
(What will you do tomorrow?)

No podré ir a la fiesta.
(I won't be able to go to the party.)

Tendremos tiempo.
(We will have time.)

Uses of Simple Future

1. Predictions:

Mañana lloverá.
(Tomorrow it will rain.)

El año que viene será mejor.
(Next year will be better.)

2. Promises:

Te llamaré esta noche.
(I'll call you tonight.)

3. Probability/Conjecture (present time):

¿Qué hora será? Serán las tres.
(What time could it be? It's probably three.)

¿Dónde estará Juan?
(Where could Juan be? (I wonder where Juan is))

4. Formal announcements:

El presidente hablará a las ocho.
(The president will speak at eight.)

Conditional Tense

Formation

Add conditional endings to the infinitive (same irregular stems as future):

Note: Endings are the same as imperfect -ER/-IR verbs!

Irregular Conditional (Same as Future)

Uses of Conditional

1. Would (hypothetical):

Me gustaría ir a España.
(I would like to go to Spain.)

¿Qué harías tú?
(What would you do?)

2. Polite requests:

¿Podría ayudarme?
(Could you help me?)

¿Tendría la hora?
(Would you have the time?)

Me gustaría un café, por favor.
(I would like a coffee, please.)

3. Probability/Conjecture (past time):

¿Qué hora sería? Serían las tres.
(What time was it probably? It was probably three.)

Tendría unos treinta años.
(He was probably about thirty years old.)

4. Future from past perspective:

Dijo que vendría.
(He said he would come.)

Pensaba que sería fácil.
(I thought it would be easy.)

5. Advice (with deber):

Deberías estudiar más.
(You should study more.)

Deberíamos ir ya.
(We should go now.)

Future Perfect

Formation: haber (future) + past participle

Use: Will have done

Para las ocho, habré terminado.
(By eight, I will have finished.)

¿Habrás comido antes de salir?
(Will you have eaten before leaving?)

Probability about the past:

¿Dónde habrá estado Juan?
(Where could Juan have been?)

Se habrá olvidado.
(He has probably forgotten.)

Conditional Perfect

Formation: haber (conditional) + past participle

Use: Would have done

Habría ido, pero estaba enfermo.
(I would have gone, but I was sick.)

¿Qué habrías hecho tú?
(What would you have done?)

Comparison Summary

Common Expressions

With Future

Ya veremos.
(We'll see.)

¿Qué será, será?
(Whatever will be, will be.)

Será lo que Dios quiera.
(It will be what God wants.)

With Conditional

¿Qué harías en mi lugar?
(What would you do in my place?)

Yo que tú, no iría.
(If I were you, I wouldn't go.)

¿Te gustaría venir?
(Would you like to come?)

Practice

¿Qué vas a hacer este fin de semana?
(What are you going to do this weekend?)

El año que viene viajaremos a México.
(Next year we will travel to Mexico.)

Me gustaría reservar una mesa para dos.
(I would like to reserve a table for two.)

Dijo que vendría a las ocho.
(He said he would come at eight.)

¿Podrías repetir, por favor?
(Could you repeat, please?)

Para entonces, habré terminado el proyecto.
(By then, I will have finished the project.)

Si tuviera dinero, viajaría por el mundo.
(If I had money, I would travel the world.)