Want to master the future tense in Spanish? You are in luck! One of the simplest ways to express future actions or plans is by using the structure “ir + a + infinitive”. It involves using the present tense of the verb “ir” (to go), followed by the preposition “a” and the infinitive form of the main verb.

Let’s explore how to employ this structure effectively in sentences.

To begin, let’s review the conjugation of the verb “ir” (to go):

Next, let’s review the structure:

ir + a + infinitive

This structure is used to talk about plans or intentions for the near future. We often use expressions like “hoy” (today”), “más tarde” (later), “mañana” (tomorrow), “esta noche” (tonight), “la próxima semana” (next week), “este verano” (this summer), etc., to indicate the timeframe of the planned action.

It sometimes implies purpose or intention:

We also use this structure to talk about events or actions that are very likely to happen. For example:

Reflexive verbs

Now, let’s talk about reflexive verbs. As you probably know, these are verbs that indicate that the subject of the action is also the recipient of the action. For example, “lavarse” means “to wash oneself”. Here, the subject is both performing the action and receiving it.

Remember, reflexive verbs are two-word verbs: “me lavo” (I wash myself) , “te lavas” (you wash yourself), “se lava” (he/she washes him/herself), “nos lavamos” (we wash ourselves), “se lavan” (you wash yourselves/they wash themselves). Here are more examples:

When using reflexive verbs in the future tense using “ir + a + infinitive” we need to include the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, se) in the sentence. 

We have two options for placing the reflexive pronoun. We can either place it before the conjugated form of the verb “ir”, or we can attach it directly to the infinitive of the main verb. Both options are correct, and they do not change the meaning or intention of the sentence. Take a look at these examples:

The verb “gustar”

As you know, “gustar” (to like) is a tricky verb. It is not complicated, just tricky. In the future tense, we might use “gustar” to assume we or someone else is going to like something in the future. For example:

*It is also possible to say “Creo que la película te va a gustar”. Similar to reflexive verbs, we can place the reflexive pronoun before the verb “ir” or attach it to the infinite “gustar”. Notice that “gustar” is not conjugated, only “ir” is conjugated. Additionally, we still need to use “a ti, a mí, a ellos”, etc.:

Ready for some practice?

Exercises / Ejercicios

Use the verbs in the box to complete the following sentences.

trabajar – dormir – elegir – llegar – acostarse – descansar – quedarse – comer – ver – tener – preparar

In this lesson, we explored the future tense in Spanish through the use of the verb “ir” (to go) together with the preposition “a” and a verb in the infinitive. We provided an explanation of how it is used to express future plans and events in Spanish, we offered helpful examples, its use with reflexive verbs and exercises too. If you are seeking to deepen your understanding, we recommend exploring additional resources such as “The 45 Most Common Verbs in Spanish” and “Introduction to Spanish Conjugations”.