Future Tense in Portuguese: A Simple Guide

Introduction

Learning to talk about future events is essential for anyone studying Portuguese. The future tense allows you to express plans, predictions, and intentions with clarity and confidence. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about forming and using the future tense in Portuguese, complete with practical examples and cultural insights.

Understanding the Portuguese Future Tense

The futuro do presente (simple future tense) is one of the most straightforward verb tenses in Portuguese. Unlike English, which often uses auxiliary verbs like will or going to, Portuguese has a dedicated future conjugation pattern that attaches endings directly to the infinitive form of verbs.

The beauty of the futuro do presente lies in its regularity. Once you master the basic pattern, you can apply it to nearly all verbs in the language. This makes it an accessible tense for learners at all levels.

How to Form the Simple Future Tense

Regular Verb Formation

To form the simple future tense, you take the infinitive form of any verb and add specific endings based on the subject pronoun. The same endings apply to all three verb groups: -ar, -er, and -ir verbs.

Here are the future tense endings:
eu (I): -ei
você/ele/ela (you/he/she): -á
nós (we): -emos
vocês/eles/elas (you all/they): -ão

Let’s see how this works with the verb falar (to speak):
eu falarei (I will speak)
você falará (you will speak)
ele falará (he will speak)
nós falaremos (we will speak)
eles falarão (they will speak)

Examples with Different Verb Types

The verb comer (to eat) follows the same pattern:
eu comerei (I will eat)
você comerá (you will eat)
ela comerá (she will eat)
nós comeremos (we will eat)
eles comerão (they will eat)

And the verb partir (to leave/depart):
eu partirei (I will leave)
você partirá (you will leave)
ele partirá (he will leave)
nós partiremos (we will leave)
elas partirão (they will leave)

Irregular Verbs in the Future Tense

Good news for learners: there are only three truly irregular verbs in the Portuguese future tense. These verbs drop part of their infinitive before adding the future endings.

Dizer (to say/tell)

The verb dizer becomes dir- before adding endings:
eu direi (I will say)
você dirá (you will say)
ele dirá (he will say)
nós diremos (we will say)
eles dirão (they will say)

Fazer (to do/make)

The verb fazer becomes far-:
eu farei (I will do)
você fará (you will do)
ela fará (she will do)
nós faremos (we will do)
elas farão (they will do)

Trazer (to bring)

The verb trazer becomes trar-:
eu trarei (I will bring)
você trará (you will bring)
ele trará (he will bring)
nós traremos (we will bring)
eles trarão (they will bring)

When to Use the Simple Future Tense

Making Predictions

The futuro do presente is commonly used to make predictions about future events. This includes weather forecasts, predictions about outcomes, and general statements about what will happen.

Examples:
Amanhã choverá em São Paulo. (Tomorrow it will rain in São Paulo.)
O Brasil ganhará a próxima Copa do Mundo. (Brazil will win the next World Cup.)
Você aprenderá português rapidamente. (You will learn Portuguese quickly.)

Expressing Intentions and Plans

While there are other ways to express future plans in Portuguese, the simple future tense conveys a strong sense of determination or commitment to an action.

Examples:
Estudarei medicina na universidade. (I will study medicine at university.)
Nós viajaremos para Portugal no verão. (We will travel to Portugal in the summer.)
Eles comprarão uma casa nova. (They will buy a new house.)

Making Promises

The future tense adds weight to promises and commitments, making it ideal for expressing sincere intentions.

Examples:
Eu ligarei para você amanhã. (I will call you tomorrow.)
Pagaremos a conta em dia. (We will pay the bill on time.)
Ela cuidará bem dos seus gatos. (She will take good care of your cats.)

Alternative Ways to Express the Future

Using Ir + Infinitive

In everyday conversation, Brazilians frequently use the construction ir (to go) + infinitive verb, similar to the English going to structure. This is the most common way to talk about future plans in spoken Portuguese.

Examples:
Eu vou estudar português amanhã. (I am going to study Portuguese tomorrow.)
Eles vão viajar no próximo mês. (They are going to travel next month.)
Nós vamos comer pizza hoje à noite. (We are going to eat pizza tonight.)

This construction feels more immediate and conversational than the simple future tense, making it perfect for casual situations.

Using the Present Tense for Near Future

Portuguese speakers often use the present tense to talk about scheduled events or plans that will happen in the near future, especially when accompanied by time expressions.

Examples:
Amanhã eu trabalho até tarde. (Tomorrow I work until late.)
Na semana que vem, viajamos para o Rio. (Next week, we travel to Rio.)
O filme começa às oito horas. (The movie starts at eight o’clock.)

Comparing Future Expressions

Understanding when to use each future construction will make your Portuguese sound more natural and appropriate for different contexts.

Formal vs. Informal Contexts

The simple future tense (futuro do presente) tends to appear more in formal writing, official announcements, news reports, and literary texts. It conveys formality and seriousness.

Example:
A empresa anunciará os resultados na próxima semana. (The company will announce the results next week.)

The ir + infinitive construction dominates everyday speech and informal writing. It sounds natural and relaxed.

Example:
A gente vai anunciar os resultados na próxima semana. (We are going to announce the results next week.)

Certainty and Probability

The choice of future expression can also reflect the speaker’s level of certainty. The simple future often conveys strong determination or high probability, while ir + infinitive suggests plans that might still change.

Compare:
Estudarei todos os dias. (I will study every day – strong commitment)
Vou estudar todos os dias. (I’m going to study every day – intention but less formal)

Common Time Expressions with the Future Tense

Pairing your future tense verbs with appropriate time expressions helps clarify when actions will take place and makes your Portuguese more precise.

Essential Future Time Markers

Amanhã (tomorrow) is perhaps the most common future time expression:
Amanhã irei ao médico. (Tomorrow I will go to the doctor.)

Na próxima semana (next week) and no próximo mês (next month) help specify more distant future events:
Na próxima semana começarei meu novo emprego. (Next week I will start my new job.)
No próximo mês eles se casarão. (Next month they will get married.)

Daqui a (in/within) followed by a time period indicates how far in the future something will happen:
Daqui a dois dias terminaremos o projeto. (In two days we will finish the project.)
Daqui a um ano falarei português fluentemente. (In a year I will speak Portuguese fluently.)

Em breve (soon) and logo (shortly) suggest something will happen in the near future:
Em breve você receberá uma resposta. (Soon you will receive an answer.)
Logo chegaremos ao destino. (Shortly we will arrive at the destination.)

The Future Tense in Questions

Forming questions in the future tense follows the same patterns as statements, with question words placed at the beginning of the sentence.

Yes/No Questions

For yes/no questions, you can simply raise your intonation at the end of the sentence or invert the subject and verb (though this is more formal).

Examples:
Você virá à festa? (Will you come to the party?)
Eles comprarão o carro? (Will they buy the car?)
Nós terminaremos a tempo? (Will we finish on time?)

Information Questions

When asking for specific information, use question words like quando (when), onde (where), como (how), or quem (who).

Examples:
Quando você viajará? (When will you travel?)
Onde eles morarão? (Where will they live?)
Como faremos isso? (How will we do this?)
Quem trará a comida? (Who will bring the food?)

Negative Forms of the Future Tense

Making negative statements in the future tense is straightforward: simply place não (not) before the conjugated verb.

Examples:
Eu não irei à reunião. (I will not go to the meeting.)
Ela não comerá carne. (She will not eat meat.)
Nós não esqueceremos você. (We will not forget you.)
Eles não venderão a casa. (They will not sell the house.)

For extra emphasis, you can use nunca (never) or other negative words:

Nunca farei isso novamente. (I will never do that again.)
Jamais esquecerei este dia. (I will never forget this day.)

The Future Tense with Reflexive Verbs

Reflexive verbs, which use pronouns like me, se, and nos, work seamlessly with the future tense. The reflexive pronoun typically comes before the conjugated verb in statements.

Examples with levantar-se (to get up):
Eu me levantarei cedo. (I will get up early.)
Você se levantará às seis? (Will you get up at six?)
Eles se levantarão tarde. (They will get up late.)

More examples:
Nós nos casaremos em junho. (We will get married in June.)
Ela se sentirá melhor amanhã. (She will feel better tomorrow.)
Vocês se divertirão na festa. (You all will have fun at the party.)

Cultural Notes on Future Expression

Regional Variations

Brazilian Portuguese speakers show a strong preference for the ir + infinitive construction in daily conversation. The simple future tense sounds quite formal or literary to many Brazilians, though it remains important for written Portuguese.

In formal business settings, news broadcasts, and official communications, you will hear the simple future more frequently. Learning both forms ensures you can adapt to different social contexts.

Expressing Politeness and Uncertainty

Sometimes, Brazilians use the future tense to soften requests or express uncertainty politely. This creates a more formal, respectful tone.

Example:
Você poderá me ajudar? (Could you help me? – more formal than Você pode me ajudar?)

Practical Exercises for Mastery

Daily Practice Suggestions

To internalize the future tense, try describing your plans for the day or week ahead using the futuro do presente. Write sentences about what you will do tomorrow, what you will eat, where you will go, and who you will see.

Create sentences like:
Amanhã acordarei às sete horas. (Tomorrow I will wake up at seven o’clock.)
Tomarei café da manhã e sairei de casa. (I will have breakfast and leave the house.)
Trabalharei até as cinco da tarde. (I will work until five in the afternoon.)

Listening Practice

Pay attention to Brazilian news programs, weather forecasts, and formal speeches where the simple future tense appears frequently. Notice how predictions, announcements, and official statements use this tense consistently.

Writing Practice

Try writing short paragraphs about future plans, dreams, or predictions. Alternate between the formal simple future and the conversational ir + infinitive to understand the difference in tone and style.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mixing Up Future Constructions

Beginning learners sometimes combine elements of different future constructions incorrectly. Remember that the simple future tense does not need any auxiliary verbs.

Incorrect: Eu vou falarei português.
Correct: Eu falarei português. OR Eu vou falar português.

Forgetting Irregular Verb Stems

The three irregular future tense verbs (dizer, fazer, and trazer) are frequently used, so memorizing their special stems early will prevent confusion.

Remember:
dizer → direi (not dizerei)
fazer → farei (not fazerei)
trazer → trarei (not trazerei)

Overusing the Simple Future

While the simple future is grammatically correct, using it constantly in conversation can sound overly formal or even unnatural to native speakers. Balance your usage by incorporating the more colloquial ir + infinitive construction in appropriate contexts.

Advanced Uses of the Future Tense

Expressing Doubt or Speculation

The future tense can express conjecture or speculation about present situations, similar to saying might or probably in English.

Examples:
Ele estará em casa agora. (He is probably home now.)
Serão umas dez horas. (It must be around ten o’clock.)
Ela terá uns trinta anos. (She must be about thirty years old.)

This usage adds sophistication to your Portuguese and appears frequently in both spoken and written language.

Hypothetical Situations

In some contexts, the future tense helps express hypothetical outcomes or possibilities.

Example:
Se você estudar, passará no exame. (If you study, you will pass the exam.)

Future Tense in Compound Sentences

When combining clauses, the future tense interacts with other tenses to express complex temporal relationships.

Examples:
Quando eu chegar, ele já terá saído. (When I arrive, he will have already left.)
Assim que terminar o trabalho, irei para casa. (As soon as I finish work, I will go home.)
Se fizer sol amanhã, iremos à praia. (If it’s sunny tomorrow, we will go to the beach.)

Notice how the present tense often appears in the dependent clause even when discussing future events, while the main clause uses the future tense.

Building Fluency with the Future Tense

Reading Authentic Materials

Brazilian newspapers, magazines, and online articles frequently use the future tense in headlines and predictions. Reading these materials exposes you to natural usage patterns and helps you recognize the tense instantly.

Speaking Practice

Engage in conversations about plans, goals, and predictions. Talk about what will happen next week, next month, or next year. Discuss dreams and aspirations using the future tense to build confidence.

Writing Goals and Resolutions

Write personal goals or New Year’s resolutions in Portuguese using the future tense. This practical application helps cement the conjugation patterns in your memory.

Example list:
Aprenderei uma nova habilidade. (I will learn a new skill.)
Viajarei para um lugar novo. (I will travel to a new place.)
Lerei mais livros em português. (I will read more books in Portuguese.)

Conclusion

Mastering the future tense in Portuguese opens up new possibilities for expression and communication. Whether you choose the formal simple future or the conversational construction with ir, understanding both forms allows you to navigate different social contexts with confidence. Practice regularly, pay attention to native speakers, and soon you’ll be discussing future plans and making predictions like a true Portuguese speaker. Your journey with the language will continue to grow as you incorporate these essential structures into your everyday communication.