Verbs: Future Tense — German Grammar

The future tense (Futur I) is constructed using the conjugated present tense of the auxiliary verb (to become) combined with the infinitive of the main verb.

Conjugating the Auxiliary Verb

To form this tense correctly, you must conjugate to match the subject. Note that is irregular: the vowel changes from e to i in the second and third person singular forms ( and ).

- I will
- you will
- he/she/it will
- we will
- you (plural) will
- they/you (formal) will

Word Order

In a standard main clause, the conjugated form of sits in the second position. The main verb (the action being performed) is placed at the very end of the sentence in its infinitive (dictionary) form. This structure creates a "sentence bracket" where the two verb parts frame the other information, such as time or object.

Ich werde morgen meine Freunde treffen.
I will meet my friends tomorrow.
Wir werden ein neues Auto kaufen.
We will buy a new car.
Wirst du mir helfen?
Will you help me?

Using the Present Tense for Future Events

While the construction is grammatically correct, native speakers often use the simple present tense to talk about the future. This is done when a specific time marker (like , , or ) makes it clear that the event has not happened yet. This is much more common than in English.

Ich gehe morgen ins Kino.
I am going to the cinema tomorrow.
Der Zug kommt in zehn Minuten.
The train comes/will come in ten minutes.

Expressing Assumptions

Beyond predicting the future, this tense is also used to express an assumption or probability about the present moment. In this context, it translates closer to "must be" or "is probably" in English.

Es ist schon spät, er wird schon schlafen.
It is already late, he is probably sleeping already.
Sie wird jetzt im Büro sein.
She will be (is likely) at the office now.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s German course

20 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 168. A few of them, with the words “Verbs: Future Tense” is about in bold:

Ich möchte diese Pflanze kaufen. Sie wird gut in meinem Zimmer aussehen.
I want to buy this plant. It will look great in my room.
Lesson 384
Ich werde am Donnerstag das Museum besuchen.
I will visit the museum on Thursday.
Lesson 396
Ich werde ein Bad nehmen, bevor ich ins Bett gehe.
I'll take a bath before going to bed.
Lesson 481

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