Simple Future: Regular Formation

The simple future tense (el futuro simple) is one of the easiest tenses to form in Spanish. Unlike most tenses, you don't drop the infinitive ending — you attach the endings directly to the whole infinitive. And every regular verb, no matter its class, uses the same set of endings.

The Future Endings

Regardless of whether the verb ends in -ar, -er, or -ir, you add these endings to the infinitive:

Notice that every form except nosotros carries a written accent. These accent marks are not decorative — they tell you which syllable is stressed and are required in writing.

Hablar (to speak)

Comer (to eat)

Vivir (to live)

Why Attach to the Full Infinitive?

Historically, the Spanish simple future comes from haber + infinitive phrases like hablar he ("I have to speak"). Over time, the two words fused, the -h- was lost, and the haber forms became our modern endings. This is why you can still "see" the infinitive sitting inside each form.

No Stem Changes for Regular Verbs

Stem-changing verbs in the present tense (like pensar → pienso) do not change stems in the future. They use the whole, unchanged infinitive.

A dozen or so verbs have irregular stems in the future but keep the same endings. Learn them in the irregular stems lesson.