The future simple in Spanish (or imperfect) is the specific verb tense for expressing actions in the future. However, it is not the only way. In our free grammar resources section you can learn other options to talk about the future.

We usually use this verb tense to make predictions not based on evidences, but on beliefs or opinions (Yo creo que el año nuevo será mejor que el 2020). However, this is not its only use. Today we are going to know other options we have to use the future simple in Spanish.

The Future Simple in Spanish to Express Probabilities

This verb tense can be used to express conjectures, speculations and probabilities in the present. This temporal change can cause confusion for learners of Spanish. Therefore, context and intonation are necessary to understand the true meaning of the sentence.

¡Qué raro! Mi estudiante no está conectado a Skype. Tendrá problemas de conexión.

In this example, we are not predicting that our student’s connection will have problems in the future. On the contrary, we think that he is experiencing those difficulties right now, even if we are not entirely sure.

Sometimes, there are some adverbs or expressions of doubt that can help us clarify the message: probably, possibly, maybe, perhaps, maybe, maybe, I don’t know, who knows….

No sé qué ha pasado. Quizá mi servidor de internet no funcionará.

If you want to remember other ways to express probabilities in Spanish, here you can do it.

 

 

How to Express Opposition or Disagreement with the Future

The future simple in Spanish can be used to show opposition to a piece of information that our interlocutor has expressed. It usually has an ironic nuance: either we do not fully believe the veracity of a fact, or we think that this fact is really unimportant. When it’s used with these senses it can be replaced by aunque + subjunctive.

 Tu amigo hablará muy bien español, pero si no prepara el examen DELE, va a tener problemas para aprobar.

In this sentence, the speaker downplays the importance of the candidate’s level of Spanish, because, for first one, it is more important to prepare well for the exam. As we can see, the action also takes place in the present and not in the future, as we might think. The result is the same if we say: Aunque tu amigo hable muy bien español… Let’s look at another example:

¿Dinero, dices? Tendrá mucho dinero, pero va vestido con harapos.

In this other example, the speaker seems to doubt the economic capacity of the person alluded to in the sentence: Aunque tenga mucho dinero, va vestido con harapos.

The future simple in Spanish to express orders

The future simple in Spanish also has an imperative value. It can be used to indicate commands and orders. It usually expresses greater force than other variants such as the imperative, the infinitive or tener que / deber.

¡Ahora mismo me dirás quién ha roto la ventana!

Although it is true that the action of decir will take place in the very near future, we are not really expressing a prediction, which would be the usual use of the future, but a command.

How to Express Fear with the Simple Future Tense

To conclude, we are going to explain this curious use of the simple future tense in Spanish. If we want to indicate that we have the suspicion that something bad is going to happen and we do not want it to be true, we can use the future in negative sentences.

No estarás pensando en rendirte con el español, ¿verdad? Prueba en Spanishviaskype.com.

As we can see, there is also a hint of advice in this example.

In short, the future simple in Spanish is a versatile verb tense. If you are able to master its uses, you will be able to speak a more natural Spanish. That’s what we offer you in our Skype lessons: speaking Spanish in a natural way. Reserve a trial lesson now and experience it.