The Future Simple describes what will happen and sometimes what someone intends to do. It is formed with werden plus the infinitive at the end, making it straightforward to signal future time. This guide goes through forming the tense, common uses, and useful time expressions.
Formation
The Future Simple is made by conjugating werden in the present tense and placing the main verb in the infinitive at the end of the sentence or clause. This structure stays consistent even in longer sentences.
| German Word(s) | English Word(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| ich werde | I will | |
| du wirst | you will (singular informal) | |
| er/sie/es wird | he/she/it will | |
| wir werden | we will | |
| ihr werdet | you will (plural informal) | |
| sie/Sie werden | they/you will (formal) |
Usage
Use the Future Simple to state what will happen, to make predictions, to express intentions or plans, and to ask polite questions about the future. It can also add emphasis when imagining future scenarios.
Signal Words
Time expressions like morgen, nächste Woche, in einem Jahr, and bald often appear with the Future Simple to clearly situate an action in the future. These cues help learners choose the tense that matches the intended time frame.
| German Word(s) | English Word(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| morgen | tomorrow | |
| nächste Woche | next week | |
| in einem Jahr | in a year | |
| bald | soon | |
| übermorgen | the day after tomorrow |
Summary
The Future Simple uses werden plus the infinitive to talk about what will happen, to make predictions, and to express plans. Time expressions like morgen and nächste Woche signal the future and help learners apply the tense consistently.
Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025