Table of Contents
Overview of Talking About the Future in German
In German at B1 level, you already know how to speak about the present and the past. To talk about your plans, goals, and expectations, you will often stay with the present tense and add time expressions, and sometimes you will use the future tense. In this chapter you learn how German speakers typically express future meaning and how this differs from English.
Present Tense for the Future
German very often uses the present tense to talk about the future. The key is to add a clear time expression so that the meaning is not present, but future.
Examples with the present tense and a future meaning:
Ich gehe morgen ins Kino.
I am going to the cinema tomorrow.
Wir fahren nächste Woche nach Berlin.
We are going to Berlin next week.
Nächsten Sommer mache ich ein Praktikum.
Next summer I am doing an internship.
Notice that the verb forms are exactly the same as for the normal present. The future meaning comes from words like morgen, nächste Woche, bald, später.
Important: In everyday German, the present tense + time expression is the most common way to talk about the future.
The Future Tense with “werden”
The grammatical future tense uses the verb “werden” as an auxiliary plus the infinitive at the end of the clause. It is similar in structure to the English “will”.
Basic pattern:
Future tense formula:
werden (conjugated) + infinitive (at the end)
Example: Ich werde morgen arbeiten.
Here is the full conjugation of “werden” in the present tense:
| Person | German form | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ich | werde | I will / I am going to |
| du | wirst | you will (informal sg) |
| er / sie / es | wird | he / she / it will |
| wir | werden | we will |
| ihr | werdet | you will (informal pl) |
| sie / Sie | werden | they / you (formal) will |
Examples in sentences:
Ich werde morgen länger im Büro bleiben.
I will stay longer in the office tomorrow.
Sie wird nächstes Jahr in Deutschland studieren.
She will study in Germany next year.
Wir werden am Wochenende unsere Freunde besuchen.
We will visit our friends at the weekend.
Word Order with “werden”
The word order in a simple main clause remains the same. “Werden” is the conjugated verb in position 2, and the infinitive goes to the end.
Examples with time first:
Morgen werde ich das Auto reparieren.
Tomorrow I will repair the car.
Nächstes Jahr werden wir umziehen.
Next year we will move.
If the sentence already has another verb idea like a modal, the infinitive still stands at the end. For more complex verb groups the detailed structure belongs to other chapters, but here you see the basic position:
Ich werde mehr Sport machen.
I will do more sport.
Du wirst weniger arbeiten müssen.
You will have to work less.
Rule: In the future tense, “werden” stands in position 2 and the main verb stays as an infinitive at the end of the clause.
When to Use Future Tense vs Present
Often both are possible. German speakers usually prefer the present if the plan is clear and quite sure.
Ich fliege morgen nach Wien.
Ich werde morgen nach Wien fliegen.
Both are correct. The version with the present tense sounds more neutral and very common in conversation. The version with “werden” can sound slightly more formal or can add a bit of emphasis that something is a plan or decision.
The future tense is especially common when:
You are making a prediction or assumption:
Es wird morgen regnen.
It will rain tomorrow.
Ich denke, sie wird den Job bekommen.
I think she will get the job.
You speak about something far in the future or less concrete:
In 20 Jahren werden viele Menschen zu Hause arbeiten.
In 20 years many people will work from home.
Du wirst später verstehen, warum.
You will understand later why.
Use present + time word for normal plans and appointments, and “werden” more for predictions, assumptions, or distant or less certain futures.
Time Expressions for Future Plans
To make future meaning clear, you need a good range of time expressions. Here are typical ones used in planning and talking about the future.
Short-term future
| German | English |
|---|---|
| heute Abend | this evening |
| morgen | tomorrow |
| übermorgen | the day after tomorrow |
| bald | soon |
| gleich | in a moment, shortly |
| später | later |
Examples:
Ich rufe dich später an.
I will call you later.
Wir treffen uns heute Abend.
We are meeting this evening.
Days and weeks
| German | English |
|---|---|
| am Montag / Dienstag | on Monday / Tuesday |
| nächstes Wochenende | next weekend |
| nächste Woche | next week |
| in zwei Wochen | in two weeks |
| in ein paar Tagen | in a few days |
Examples:
Nächste Woche schreibe ich den Test.
Next week I am writing the test.
In zwei Wochen werde ich umziehen.
In two weeks I will move.
Months and years
| German | English |
|---|---|
| nächsten Monat | next month |
| dieses Jahr | this year |
| nächstes Jahr | next year |
| in einem Jahr | in a year |
| in fünf Jahren | in five years |
| in der Zukunft | in the future |
Examples:
Nächstes Jahr werde ich eine neue Stelle suchen.
Next year I will look for a new position.
In fünf Jahren leben wir vielleicht im Ausland.
In five years we may live abroad.
Expressing Plans and Intentions
To talk about your plans, you often combine the future idea with verbs that show intention such as “planen”, “vorhaben” and “möchten”. The detailed grammar of verbs with infinitive and of modal verbs appears in other chapters, so here the focus is on typical expressions for future plans.
Common verbs for plans:
| German verb / phrase | English meaning |
|---|---|
| planen | to plan |
| vorhaben | to intend, to plan |
| sich vornehmen | to resolve to do sth |
| hoffen | to hope |
| erwarten | to expect |
| entscheiden | to decide |
Examples:
Ich plane, im Herbst einen Deutschkurs zu machen.
I am planning to take a German course in autumn.
Wir haben vor, im Sommer zu reisen.
We intend to travel in the summer.
Sie hofft, bald eine neue Wohnung zu finden.
She hopes to find a new flat soon.
Here the present tense already shows future meaning because the verbs themselves speak about planning and hoping.
You can combine such sentences with “werden” when you want a more formal or emphasized future:
Ich werde im Herbst einen Deutschkurs machen.
I will take a German course in autumn.
Wir werden im Sommer viel reisen.
We will travel a lot in the summer.
Talking About Personal Goals and Life Plans
When you describe life plans and goals, you often speak about longer time frames and less concrete things. Both present and future tense are possible. At B1 level, practice typical sentence patterns for your own life.
Long-term expressions:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| später | later |
| irgendwann | sometime |
| in der Zukunft | in the future |
| langfristig | in the long term |
| in ein paar Jahren | in a few years |
| bis Ende des Jahres | by the end of the year |
Example structures:
Später möchte ich im Ausland arbeiten.
Later I would like to work abroad.
In der Zukunft werde ich weniger arbeiten und mehr reisen.
In the future I will work less and travel more.
In ein paar Jahren will ich eine Familie gründen.
In a few years I want to start a family.
Bis Ende des Jahres werde ich mein Studium abschließen.
I will finish my studies by the end of the year.
You can combine goals with reasons using connectors that you learn in other chapters. Here only simple combinations:
Ich werde eine Fortbildung machen, weil ich bessere Chancen im Beruf haben möchte.
I will do a further training course because I would like to have better chances in my job.
Predictions and Assumptions about the Future
With “werden” and certain adverbs you can express how sure you are about something. This helps you talk about trends, forecasts, or personal expectations.
Useful adverbs:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| sicher | certainly |
| bestimmt | definitely, surely |
| wahrscheinlich | probably |
| vielleicht | maybe |
| wohl | probably (spoken, modal) |
Patterns:
Er wird sicher pünktlich sein.
He will certainly be on time.
Das wird wahrscheinlich teuer.
That will probably be expensive.
Sie wird wohl später kommen.
She will probably come later.
Das wird vielleicht schwierig, aber wir schaffen das.
That might be difficult, but we will manage it.
For predictions and assumptions, use “werden” + infinitive and add adverbs like wahrscheinlich, sicher, bestimmt, vielleicht, wohl to show the degree of certainty.
Talking about Schedules and Fixed Arrangements
For fixed timetables, the present tense is almost always used, just like in English.
Examples:
Der Zug fährt morgen um 8 Uhr ab.
The train leaves tomorrow at 8 o’clock.
Das Meeting beginnt nächste Woche um 9 Uhr.
The meeting starts at 9 o’clock next week.
Die Schule startet im September.
School starts in September.
Future tense with “werden” sounds strange here and is normally unnecessary, because schedules are objective and fixed.
Contrasting Plans and Reality
To talk about what you plan and what will probably happen, you can contrast present and future forms.
Examples:
Ich plane, im Sommer Urlaub zu machen, aber ich werde wahrscheinlich doch arbeiten.
I plan to take a holiday in summer, but I will probably work after all.
Wir wollen umziehen, aber es wird schwer sein, eine Wohnung zu finden.
We want to move, but it will be hard to find a flat.
Sie möchten ein Haus kaufen, aber sie werden zuerst sparen müssen.
They would like to buy a house, but they will have to save first.
In such sentences you describe current intentions with present or modal forms and likely results with “werden”.
New Vocabulary from this Chapter
| German | Part of speech | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| werden | verb | to become, will (future auxiliary) |
| planen | verb | to plan |
| vorhaben | verb | to intend, to plan |
| sich vornehmen | verb (reflexive) | to resolve to do something |
| hoffen | verb | to hope |
| erwarten | verb | to expect |
| entscheiden | verb | to decide |
| Zukunft | noun (feminine) | future |
| später | adverb | later |
| irgendwann | adverb | sometime |
| langfristig | adjective / adverb | long-term, in the long term |
| bald | adverb | soon |
| gleich | adverb | in a moment, shortly |
| später | adverb | later |
| sicher | adverb / adjective | certain(ly), sure(ly) |
| bestimmt | adverb / adjective | definitely, certain(ly) |
| wahrscheinlich | adverb / adjective | probably, probable |
| vielleicht | adverb | maybe, perhaps |
| wohl | modal particle | probably (in spoken German) |
| nächstes Jahr | phrase | next year |
| nächste Woche | phrase | next week |
| nächstes Wochenende | phrase | next weekend |
| in zwei Wochen | phrase | in two weeks |
| in ein paar Jahren | phrase | in a few years |
| bis Ende des Jahres | phrase | by the end of the year |
| in der Zukunft | phrase | in the future |
| Umzug | noun (masculine) | move (to a new home) |
| umziehen | verb | to move (house) |
| Fortbildung | noun (feminine) | further training |
| Praktikum | noun (neuter) | internship |