Future tense

Futur I

The future tense Futur I is used to describe actions that will take place in the future. It is formed by the use of the auxiliary verb werden (to become) inflected for the person in the present tense and the infinitive at the end of the sentence.

Building sentences in the Futur I tense

Subjekt + werden + ... + Infinitiv

The subject (Subjekt) is the person or thing performing the action, followed by the auxiliary verb werden (in present tense, conjugated for person), and then the infinitive (Infinitiv), which is the base, unconjugated form of the verb. If there is a modal verb in the sentence, then there are two infinitives at the end of the sentence: the infinitive of the non-modal verb + the infinitive of the modal verb.

Conjugation of the auxiliary verb werden for person in the present tense

Person	werden
ich	werde
du	wirst
er/sie/es	wird
wir	werden
ihr	werdet
sie/Sie	werden

Applications

Examples of sentences in the future tense Futur I

Ich werde bald ein neues Auto kaufen.

Translation
I will buy a new car soon.

Thomas wird nächste Woche seine Freundin heiraten.

Translation
Next week Thomas will marry his girlfriend.

Ich esse heute nichts mehr, weil ich morgen früh einen Bluttest haben werde.

Translation
I am not eating anything today because I have a blood test tomorrow.

Ich werde ab nächstem Monat wieder in die Schule gehen müssen.

Translation
From next month I will have to go to school again.

Ich spare jetzt viel Geld, weil ich bald ein neues Auto werde kaufen müssen.

Translation
I am saving a lot of money now because I will have to buy a new car soon.

Explanation
A subordinate clause with the modal verb müssen hence the word order with verb at the end with two infinitives at the end has to be used: , weil ... + Hilfsverb + Infinitiv + Modalverb (Hilfsverb - auxiliary verb, Infinitiv - infinitive, Modalverb - modal verb) 👉 , weil ... werde kaufen müssen (, ~~weil ... kaufen müssen werde~~).

Using the present tense Präsens to obtain the meaning of a sentence in the future tense Futur I

Often, in order to express an action to be performed in the future instead of using the future tense Futur I a simplification is used, which involves using the present tense. Especially when an expression describing the time is used e.g. in the evening/tomorrow/next week/month/year or in a while/in a few days/in a month.

In der nächsten Woche habe ich Urlaub.

Translation
I am on vacation next week.

Explanation
It is obvious that the activity relates to the future thus it is not necessary, but possible to use the tense Futur I (In der nächsten Woche werde ich Urlaub haben.)

In zwei Monaten ist es wieder kalt.

Translation
In two months it will be cold again.

Explanation
It is obvious that the activity relates to the future thus it is not necessary, but possible to use the tense Futur I (In zwei Monaten wird es wieder kalt sein.)

Meine Freunde besuchen mich heute Abend.

Translation
Friends are visiting me tonight.

Explanation
It is obvious that the activity relates to the future thus it is not necessary, but possible to use the tense Futur I (Meine Freunde werden mich heute Abend besuchen.)