> German Futur I (Simple Future) is a tense used to express actions that will happen in the future, using the auxiliary verb “werden” and the infinitive.

Futur I, also known as the simple future tense in German, is used to describe actions or events that will take place in the future. It is formed using the auxiliary verb werden in the present tense, followed by the main verb in its infinitive form at the end of the sentence.

Indicates actions or intentions that will happen in the future
Can express predictions, plans, or assumptions about the future
Formed using “werden” + infinitive (main verb)

Conjugating Werden for Futur I

The auxiliary verb werden is conjugated in the present tense according to the subject. It appears as the first verb in the sentence, while the main verb is placed at the end in its infinitive form.

Conjugation Chart: werden (used for all verbs in Futur I)

German Pronoun	Werden Conjugation	English Equivalent	German Example	English Example
ich	werde	I will	Ich werde sprechen.	I will speak.
du	wirst	you will (sing.)	Du wirst lesen.	You will read.
er/sie/es	wird	he/she/it will	Er wird kommen.	He will come.
wir	werden	we will	Wir werden gehen.	We will go.
ihr	werdet	you will (pl.)	Ihr werdet spielen.	You will play.
sie/Sie	werden	they/you will	Sie werden arbeiten.	They will work.

Conjugate werden according to the subject
Use the infinitive form of the main verb at the end

Example Verbs in Futur I

Here are some example verbs conjugated in Futur I. Notice how werden changes, but the main verb remains in the infinitive.

Table: Example Verbs in Futur I

German Pronoun	sehen (to see)	fahren (to drive)	schreiben (to write)	Deutsch Example (sehen)	English Example (sehen)
ich	ich werde sehen	ich werde fahren	ich werde schreiben	Ich werde den Film sehen.	I will see the movie.
du	du wirst sehen	du wirst fahren	du wirst schreiben	Du wirst nach Berlin fahren.	You will drive to Berlin.
er/sie/es	wird sehen	wird fahren	wird schreiben	Sie wird einen Brief schreiben.	She will write a letter.
wir	werden sehen	werden fahren	werden schreiben	Wir werden das Auto fahren.	We will drive the car.
ihr	werdet sehen	werdet fahren	werdet schreiben	Ihr werdet den Text schreiben.	You will write the text.
sie/Sie	werden sehen	werden fahren	werden schreiben	Sie werden das Konzert sehen.	They will see the concert.

The main verb stays in the infinitive form
“werden” is the only part that changes

Word Order in Futur I Sentences

The word order in German Futur I follows the standard rule for sentences with auxiliary verbs:

Subject
Conjugated auxiliary verb werden
... (other elements: time, place, objects)
Main verb in infinitive (always at the end)

Examples:

Ich werde morgen ins Kino gehen.
Du wirst bald eine neue Arbeit finden.
Wir werden nächste Woche Urlaub machen.

The infinitive always goes at the end
Other sentence parts can be placed before the infinitive

Time Expressions Used With Futur I

Futur I often appears with time expressions that signal the future. Here are some common examples:

German	English	Example	Example Translation
morgen	tomorrow	Ich werde morgen lernen.	I will study tomorrow.
nächste Woche	next week	Wir werden nächste Woche reisen.	We will travel next week.
bald	soon	Du wirst bald antworten.	You will answer soon.
in zwei Tagen	in two days	Er wird in zwei Tagen ankommen.	He will arrive in two days.
irgendwann	sometime	Sie wird das irgendwann tun.	She will do that sometime.

Time expressions help clarify when the future action happens
Not all Futur I sentences require a time marker, but it’s common

Using Futur I for Predictions

Futur I is often used to make predictions about the future, especially when the outcome is uncertain but expected.

Examples:

Es wird regnen. (It will rain.)
Der Zug wird pünktlich sein. (The train will be on time.)
Du wirst den Test bestehen. (You will pass the test.)

Predictions are often made without a specific time expression
The tone is more certain than in the present tense

Using Futur I for Intentions and Plans

Futur I can also express a speaker’s intention or decision about something that will happen in the future.

Examples:

Ich werde das Abendessen kochen. (I will cook dinner.)
Wir werden das Projekt morgen abschließen. (We will finish the project tomorrow.)
Sie wird heute nicht kommen. (She will not come today.)

Intentions and plans are stated clearly with werden
Often, these sentences answer the question “Was wirst du tun?”

Negation in Futur I

To make a Futur I sentence negative, simply add nicht (not) or kein (no/none) in the sentence. The auxiliary werden is still conjugated as usual.

Examples:

Ich werde nicht gehen. (I will not go.)
Wir werden keinen Wein trinken. (We will not drink any wine.)
Er wird das Buch nicht lesen. (He will not read the book.)

nicht negates verbs and adjectives
kein negates nouns (like “no” or “none”)

Questions in Futur I

To form questions in Futur I, invert the subject and the conjugated form of werden.

Examples:

German Question	English Translation
Wirst du morgen kommen?	Will you come tomorrow?
Werden wir das schaffen?	Will we manage that?
Wird sie das Geschenk mögen?	Will she like the gift?

Use the auxiliary werden at the beginning of the question
The main verb remains at the end in infinitive

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Wrong: Ich werde gegangen.
Correct: Ich werde gehen.

Don’t use the past participle (gegangen); always use the infinitive.

Wrong: Wird sie kommt?
Correct: Wird sie kommen?

In questions, put the auxiliary werden first, main verb at the end.

Wrong: Ich werde nicht gehen morgen.
Correct: Ich werde morgen nicht gehen.

Place time expressions and negations in natural word order for clarity.

Special Note: Futur I vs. Present Tense

In German, the present tense can often be used to talk about the future, especially if there’s a time expression.

Examples:

Ich gehe morgen ins Kino. (I’m going to the cinema tomorrow.)
Wir reisen nächste Woche. (We are traveling next week.)

Use Futur I when:

Emphasizing that something will definitely happen
Making a prediction
Expressing a strong intention or promise

Use present tense when:

Talking about scheduled or planned events
The future time is clear from the context

Conclusion

Futur I is an essential tense for talking about what will happen, whether it’s a plan, prediction, or promise. Its structure is always “werden” (conjugated) + main verb (infinitive), with the infinitive placed at the end. Time expressions, negations, and question forms follow standard German word order rules.

Conjugate werden for the subject
Keep the main verb in the infinitive at the end
Use time expressions to clarify the future
Invert subject and werden for questions
Add nicht or kein for negation

With practice, forming and using Futur I will become a natural part of expressing future ideas in German.

Last updated: Sat May 31, 2025