Das Futur I & Futur II
- The Future Tense I (Futur I) is used to describe events in the future or to express assumptions about the present.
- The Future Tense II (Futur II) describes an action that will have been completed at a specific point in the future.
1. Structure of Future Tense I (Futur I)
Subject + werden (conjugated) + main verb in infinitive
| Person | werden + Infinitive |
|---|---|
| Ich | werde gehen |
| Du | wirst gehen |
| Er/sie/es | wird gehen |
| Wir | werden gehen |
| Ihr | werdet gehen |
| Sie/sie | werden gehen |
Examples:
-
Ich werde morgen Deutsch lernen.
(I will learn German tomorrow.) -
Er wird nächstes Jahr nach Deutschland reisen.
(He will travel to Germany next year.)
Note:
- "werden" is in position 2 in the sentence, the main verb is at the end.
- Used to express predictions or plans for the future.
2. Describing the future with the present tense (Präsens for the future)
📌 In German, the present tense (Präsens) can be used to talk about the future if there is a specific time indication.
Examples:
-
Morgen gehe ich ins Kino.
(Tomorrow I’m going to the cinema.) -
Nächstes Jahr fangen wir ein neues Projekt an.
(Next year we start a new project.)
Note:
- Only use the present tense for the future if there is a clear time reference.
- Without a time reference, use Futur I to avoid confusion.
3. Difference between present tense with time reference & Futur I
| Present tense (Präsens) | Future tense I (Futur I) |
|---|---|
| Only used with a clear time reference. | Used for predictions or plans for the future. |
| Morgen fahre ich nach Berlin. (Tomorrow I go to Berlin.) | Ich werde morgen nach Berlin fahren. (I will go to Berlin tomorrow.) |
| Often used in spoken language. | Often used in writing and formal language. |
📌 When to use Futur I?
- When there is no clear time reference.
- When you want to emphasize a prediction or plan.
4. Future tense I with modal verbs (Modalverben)
📌 In sentences with modal verbs, the modal verb stays in the infinitive and comes before the main verb.
Subject + werden (conjugated) + modal verb (infinitive) + main verb (infinitive)
Examples:
-
Ich werde morgen länger arbeiten müssen.
(Tomorrow I will have to work longer.) -
Du wirst das Buch noch einmal lesen können.
(You will be able to read the book again.)
Note:
- Both the main verb and the modal verb stay in the infinitive.
- The auxiliary "werden" is always in position 2.
5. Passive voice in future tense I (Passiv im Futur I)
📌 Used to describe an action in the future without specifying who performs the action.
Subject + werden (Präsens) + Participle II + werden (infinitive)
Examples:
-
Die Arbeit wird morgen gemacht werden.
(The work will be done tomorrow.) -
Das Haus wird in zwei Jahren gebaut werden.
(The house will be built in two years.)
Note:
- There are two "werden" in the sentence: one conjugated in present, one infinitive at the end.
- The Participle II always comes before the second "werden".
📍 6. Future Tense II (Futur II)
📌 Used to describe an action that will have been completed at a specific point in the future.
Subject + werden (Präsens) + Participle II + haben/sein (infinitive)
Examples:
-
Bis morgen wird er die Arbeit beendet haben.
(By tomorrow he will have finished the work.) -
Nächstes Jahr um diese Zeit werde ich mein Studium abgeschlossen haben.
(At this time next year, I will have completed my studies.)
Note:
- Futur II often goes with phrases like "bis dahin" (by then), "nächstes Jahr" (next year).
- "Haben"/"sein" always at the end in infinitive form.
- Use "haben" for most verbs, "sein" for verbs of movement or change of state.
🎯 7. Summary of key points
- Futur I = werden + infinitive, used for plans or predictions.
- Present tense can describe the future if there is a clear time reference.
- Futur I with modal verbs = werden + modal verb + infinitive.
- Future passive = werden (Präsens) + Participle II + werden (infinitive).
- Futur II = werden + Participle II + haben/sein, used for actions that will have been completed in the future.