Portuguese Future Tense: Complete Conjugation Guide
Introduction to the Portuguese Future Tense
The future tense in Portuguese, known as futuro do presente or futuro simples, is used to express actions that will happen at a later time. Understanding how to use future tense in Portuguese is essential for discussing plans, making predictions, and expressing intentions about upcoming events.
While spoken Portuguese often uses alternative constructions (like ir + infinitive), the simple future tense remains important in formal writing, literature, and certain spoken contexts. Mastering this tense will significantly expand your ability to communicate about the future with precision and sophistication.
Formation: Portuguese Future Tense Conjugation
The Portuguese future tense conjugation is remarkably regular and follows a simple pattern. Unlike many other tenses, the future tense uses the same endings for all three verb groups (-ar, -er, -ir), and these endings are added directly to the infinitive form of the verb.
Future Tense Endings
| Person | Ending |
|---|---|
| eu | -ei |
| tu | -ás |
| ele/ela/você | -á |
| nós | -emos |
| vós | -eis |
| eles/elas/vocês | -ão |
Regular Verb Conjugations
| Person | Falar (to speak) | Comer (to eat) | Partir (to leave) |
|---|---|---|---|
| eu | falarei | comerei | partirei |
| tu | falarás | comerás | partirás |
| ele/ela/você | falará | comerá | partirá |
| nós | falaremos | comeremos | partiremos |
| vós | falareis | comereis | partireis |
| eles/elas/vocês | falarão | comerão | partirão |
Irregular Verbs
Only three verbs have irregular stems in the future tense. They still use the regular endings, but their stems are modified:
| Verb | Irregular Stem | Example (eu) |
|---|---|---|
| dizer (to say) | dir- | direi |
| fazer (to do/make) | far- | farei |
| trazer (to bring) | trar- | trarei |
Usage: When and How to Use the Future Tense
Knowing how to use future tense in Portuguese correctly involves understanding the specific contexts where it's most appropriate:
- Predictions and certainties about the future: Use the simple future when expressing what will definitely or likely happen. O sol nascerá às seis horas. (The sun will rise at six o'clock.)
- Formal promises and commitments: In formal contexts, the future tense conveys strong commitment. Entregaremos o projeto na sexta-feira. (We will deliver the project on Friday.)
- Expressing probability in the present: The future can express conjecture about current situations. Ele terá uns trinta anos. (He must be about thirty years old.)
- Formal writing and literature: The simple future is preferred in academic texts, journalism, and literary works.
- Commands softened as future statements: Você fará o que eu digo. (You will do what I say.)
Note: In everyday spoken Portuguese, especially in Brazil, the construction ir + infinitive (e.g., vou falar — I'm going to speak) is more common than the simple future. However, the simple future remains essential for formal communication.
Examples
Here are practical examples demonstrating the future tense in context:
- Amanhã estudarei português por duas horas.
Tomorrow I will study Portuguese for two hours. - Eles viajarão para Lisboa no próximo mês.
They will travel to Lisbon next month. - O que você fará depois da aula?
What will you do after class? - Nós nunca esqueceremos este momento.
We will never forget this moment. - Ela dirá a verdade quando chegar a hora.
She will tell the truth when the time comes. - Vocês terão muito sucesso se continuarem assim.
You will have great success if you continue like this. - Farei o meu melhor para ajudar.
I will do my best to help.
Common Mistakes
When learning Portuguese future tense conjugation, learners often encounter these pitfalls:
- Adding endings to the verb stem instead of the infinitive: Unlike other tenses, future endings attach to the complete infinitive. Wrong: *fal-arei. Correct: falar-ei → falarei.
- Forgetting accent marks: The accents on -ás, -á, and -ão are essential. Without them, meaning can change or words become misspelled.
- Confusing the irregular stems: Remember that only dizer, fazer, and trazer are irregular. Don't apply irregular patterns to similar-looking verbs.
- Overusing the simple future in casual speech: While grammatically correct, using the simple future in everyday conversation can sound overly formal in Brazilian Portuguese. Match your register to the context.
- Mixing up -ão (future) with -am (present/past): The third person plural ending -ão (stressed) indicates future, while -am (unstressed) is used in present and past tenses. Eles falam (they speak) vs. Eles falarão (they will speak).