3.6.1 Future tense

Talking about the Future in German

In everyday German, there are two main ways to talk about the future: using the present tense with a time expression and using the future tense with the auxiliary verb “werden.” At B1 level you should understand both, and know when German speakers actually use the future tense.

Present Tense for Future Meaning

Very often, German uses the normal present tense to talk about the future, combined with a clear time expression.

Examples:

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.

Kommst du heute Abend?
Are you coming this evening?

Here, the verbs are simply in the present tense. The “future” meaning comes from words like “morgen,” “nächste Woche,” “heute Abend.”

At B1, this is still your default way to talk about the future, especially in spoken German.

Forming the Future Tense with “werden”

The “proper” future tense is formed with:

Conjugation of “werden” in the present:

The main verb stays in the infinitive and moves to the end.

Examples:

Ich werde morgen arbeiten.
I will work tomorrow.

Wir werden bald umziehen.
We will move soon.

Er wird nächste Woche anfangen.
He will start next week.

Sie werden im Sommer nach Deutschland reisen.
They will travel to Germany in summer.

Pay attention to “du wirst” and “er/sie/es wird.” These irregular forms are very common in spoken German.

Word Order with the Future Tense

The future tense follows the normal German word order for sentences with an auxiliary verb.

Basic structure in main clauses:

Subject + conjugated “werden” + sentence elements + infinitive at the end.

Examples:

Ich werde nächste Woche ein Auto kaufen.
Subject: Ich
Conjugated auxiliary: werde
Other elements: nächste Woche ein Auto
Infinitive at the end: kaufen

Morgen werden wir unsere Freunde besuchen.
Time element can stand at the beginning, then inversion happens:

Morgen (position 1)
werden (position 2, conjugated verb)
wir (subject)
unsere Freunde (object)
besuchen (infinitive at the end)

In yes/no questions:

Werden Sie heute kommen?
Will you come today?

Wirst du das machen?
Will you do that?

Here “werden” stands at the beginning, and the infinitive is again at the end.

In information questions (W-questions):

Wann wirst du ankommen?
When will you arrive?

Was werdet ihr essen?
What will you eat?

The question word comes first, then the conjugated “werden,” then the subject, then the rest, and finally the infinitive.

Future Tense vs Present Tense

Both forms can often express the same idea. The choice depends on style, emphasis, and sometimes on meaning.

With present tense:

Ich gehe morgen zum Zahnarzt.
I am going to the dentist tomorrow.

With future tense:

Ich werde morgen zum Zahnarzt gehen.
I will go to the dentist tomorrow.

Both are correct. The future tense can sound more formal or more emphatic in everyday language, but often the difference is small.

You need future tense especially in the following situations.

Future Tense for Predictions

The future tense is very typical when you talk about predictions, guesses, or expectations, often without a fixed plan.

Examples:

Es wird morgen regnen.
It will rain tomorrow.

Ich denke, sie wird den Job bekommen.
I think she will get the job.

Er wird wohl zu spät kommen.
He will probably come too late.

Das wird teuer sein.
That will be expensive.

Here you do not just describe a planned action. You express a prediction or assumption about the future.

Often you will see words like “wahrscheinlich” (probably), “bestimmt” (definitely), “sicher” (certainly), “vielleicht” (maybe) together with the future tense.

Examples:

Sie wird wahrscheinlich später anrufen.
She will probably call later.

Wir werden sicher eine Lösung finden.
We will certainly find a solution.

Future Tense for Assumptions about the Present

In German, the future tense is also used to express an assumption about the present, not only about the future. This is important and a bit different from English.

Examples:

Es ist schon 8 Uhr. Er wird jetzt im Büro sein.
It is already 8 o’clock. He will be in the office now.
(Meaning: I assume he is in the office now.)

Sie wird noch im Zug sitzen.
She is probably still on the train.
(Literal: She will still sit in the train.)

Du wirst müde sein.
You are probably tired.
(Literal: You will be tired.)

In these sentences, the action or situation is happening now. The future tense expresses a guess, not time.

Context decides if the assumption is about now or later.

Time Expressions with the Future

To make future meaning clear, use time expressions. These work with both present and future tense.

Common time expressions:

Compare:

Ich rufe dich später an. / Ich werde dich später anrufen.
I will call you later.

Wir sehen uns nächste Woche. / Wir werden uns nächste Woche sehen.
We will see each other next week.

At B1 you should be able to use both versions correctly.

Future Tense with Modal Verbs

The future tense can be combined with modal verbs such as “können,” “müssen,” “dürfen,” “wollen,” “sollen,” “mögen.” Then “werden” is conjugated, the modal verb is in the infinitive at the end, and the main verb is also in the infinitive. So you have a double infinitive cluster.

Structure:

Subject + werden (conjugated) + sentence elements + modal + main verb (both infinitives) at the end.

Examples:

Ich werde morgen lange arbeiten müssen.
I will have to work for a long time tomorrow.

Wir werden mehr lernen müssen.
We will have to study more.

Sie wird früh aufstehen müssen.
She will have to get up early.

Er wird das Auto nicht fahren dürfen.
He will not be allowed to drive the car.

Ihr werdet das Problem lösen können.
You will be able to solve the problem.

At B1, it is important to recognize that both infinitives go to the end and come after each other.

Future Tense in Dependent Clauses

You also need the future tense in subordinate clauses, for example with “wenn,” “dass,” “weil,” “ob.” The main rule stays the same: “werden” is conjugated, and the main verb is in the infinitive at the end of the clause.

Examples:

Ich glaube, dass er morgen kommen wird.
I believe that he will come tomorrow.

Wenn wir genug Geld haben werden, kaufen wir ein Haus.
If we have enough money, we will buy a house.

Sie sagt, sie wird später anrufen.
She says she will call later.

Notice that in spoken German, many native speakers use present tense in the subordinate clause instead:

Ich glaube, dass er morgen kommt.
Wenn wir genug Geld haben, kaufen wir ein Haus.

Both versions are possible. The future tense version can sound more formal or more explicit.

Typical Mistakes and Tips

Many learners try to use the future tense in every sentence about the future, because in English “will” is very common. In German, this sounds strange in everyday conversation.

Prefer the present tense with a time expression, especially for plans and arrangements:

Ich treffe ihn morgen.
not: Ich werde ihn morgen treffen.
(unless you want to sound very formal or very emphatic)

Use “werden” especially for:

Predictions:
Es wird kalt sein.
It will be cold.

Assumptions:
Sie wird jetzt zu Hause sein.
She is probably at home now.

Uncertain future events:
Vielleicht werde ich nächstes Jahr umziehen.
Maybe I will move next year.

Another typical mistake is forgetting the infinitive at the end:

Wrong: Ich werde morgen ins Kino.
Correct: Ich werde morgen ins Kino gehen.

Also, learners sometimes mis-conjugate “werden”:

Wrong: du wirstt, er wirdt
Correct: du wirst, er wird

Memorize “ich werde, du wirst, er/sie/es wird” as a small group.

New Vocabulary from This Chapter