In today’s lesson we will study the near future in Spanish «El futuro próximo».
This tense is very common in Spanish, It is used to express actions and intentions in the near future and is similar to the English future simple with «going to.»
The Near Future in Spanish: ExampIes
When do I use the Near Future Tense in Spanish?
For the Immediate Future
When we talk about what we are going to do shortly (ahora). We use the ir + a + infinitive formula.
This could include things that you’re going to do in 5 minutes or 5 days. It all depends on your definition of «soon». Either way, the near future is the appropriate tense to use.
How to form the Near Future in Spanish
The near future in Spanish is formed with the present tense forms of the verb «ir «(to go) + the preposition «a» followed by the infinitive of the main verb.
In this verbal periphrasis, the verb ir (to go) loses its literal meaning to exclusively indicate the intention of the speaker to do something at a time close to the moment of speech.
English speakers should find the futuro próximo (the near future in Spanish) easy to handle as the future with going in English presents a similar structure.
| PersonaI pronoun | Present continuous of to go | Infinitive of the main verb |
| I | am going | to work |
| Yo | voy | a trabajar |
Here are some examples:
Vamos a ver una peli antes de ir a la cama. / We are going to watch a movie before going to bed.
Mañana voy a descansar todo el día. / Tomorrow I am going to rest all day long.
The Near Future in Spanish
Let’s practice with interactive exercises
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