Back to: Spanish Verb Tenses Practice – Course
Lesson #15: Informal Future in Spanish
In this lesson, you will learn how to conjugate the informal future in Spanish using the infinitives -ar, -er, and -ir. The informal future is used to talk about actions that are going to happen in the near future. It is a simple construction using the verb “ir” (to go) in the present tense, followed by the infinitive verb of the action.
Formation of the Informal Future Tense in Spanish
The informal future is formed using the verb “ir” (to go) conjugated in the present tense + the infinitive verb of the main action. This tense is also known as the “periphrastic future”.
Conjugation of the Verb “Ir” in the Present Tense:
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation of “Ir” (Present Tense) |
|---|---|
| Yo (I) | voy |
| Tú (You, informal) | vas |
| Él/Ella (He/She) | va |
| Nosotros (We) | vamos |
| Vosotros (You all, informal, Spain) | vais |
| Ellos/Ellas (They) | van |
Structure of the Informal Future Tense:
To form the informal future, you simply use the present tense of “ir” + the infinitive form of the main verb.
Formula:
- Subject Pronoun + conjugated form of “ir” + infinitive verb
Examples with Regular Verbs
1. -AR Verbs (e.g., Hablar – to speak)
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | voy a hablar | I am going to speak |
| Tú (You, informal) | vas a hablar | You are going to speak |
| Él/Ella (He/She) | va a hablar | He/She is going to speak |
| Nosotros (We) | vamos a hablar | We are going to speak |
| Vosotros (You all, informal, Spain) | vais a hablar | You all are going to speak |
| Ellos/Ellas (They) | van a hablar | They are going to speak |
2. -ER Verbs (e.g., Comer – to eat)
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | voy a comer | I am going to eat |
| Tú (You, informal) | vas a comer | You are going to eat |
| Él/Ella (He/She) | va a comer | He/She is going to eat |
| Nosotros (We) | vamos a comer | We are going to eat |
| Vosotros (You all, informal, Spain) | vais a comer | You all are going to eat |
| Ellos/Ellas (They) | van a comer | They are going to eat |
3. -IR Verbs (e.g., Vivir – to live)
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | voy a vivir | I am going to live |
| Tú (You, informal) | vas a vivir | You are going to live |
| Él/Ella (He/She) | va a vivir | He/She is going to live |
| Nosotros (We) | vamos a vivir | We are going to live |
| Vosotros (You all, informal, Spain) | vais a vivir | You all are going to live |
| Ellos/Ellas (They) | van a vivir | They are going to live |
Usage of the Informal Future
The informal future is used to talk about actions that are expected to happen in the near future or plans that have already been made.
- To Express Near Future Actions or Plans:
- Voy a estudiar mañana.
(I am going to study tomorrow.)
- Voy a estudiar mañana.
- To Express What Someone is Going to Do:
- Ella va a viajar a España.
(She is going to travel to Spain.)
- Ella va a viajar a España.
- To Express What We Think Will Happen:
- Vamos a ver una película esta noche.
(We are going to watch a movie tonight.)
- Vamos a ver una película esta noche.
Conclusion
The informal future is a simple tense to form, using the verb “ir” in the present tense + the infinitive form of the main verb. It is commonly used to describe actions that are going to happen soon, plans, or expectations. Understanding how to conjugate and use this tense will help you speak about future events in an easy and direct way.
Good luck with your learning process!