Future Tense (Futur I) in German

Overview

The future tense in German (Futur I) is formed with the auxiliary verb werden plus an infinitive at the end of the sentence. "Ich werde morgen kommen" (I will come tomorrow). This structure is straightforward and the same for all verbs, making it one of the easier tenses to learn at the B1 level.

However, there is an important twist: German uses the present tense for future events far more often than English does. "Ich komme morgen" (I'm coming tomorrow) is perfectly natural and actually more common in everyday speech than "Ich werde morgen kommen." The Futur I is used when you want to emphasize the future, make predictions, express intentions, or — interestingly — make assumptions about the present.

This dual function of Futur I (future reference and present assumptions) is distinctive. "Er wird wohl schlafen" does not mean "He will probably sleep" but rather "He is probably sleeping (right now)." Understanding both uses is key to natural German at the B1 level.

How It Works

Conjugation of werden

Person	werden
ich	werde
du	wirst
er / sie / es	wird
wir	werden
ihr	werdet
sie / Sie	werden

Sentence Structure

Subject + werden (conjugated, position 2) + ... + infinitive (end)

• Ich werde morgen nach Berlin fahren.
• Er wird das Buch lesen.

Two Functions of Futur I

Function	Example	English	Signal Words
Future action	Ich werde morgen kommen.	I will come tomorrow.	morgen, nächste Woche, bald
Present assumption	Er wird wohl zu Hause sein.	He is probably at home.	wohl, wahrscheinlich, sicher

When to use Futur I vs. present tense for future

Situation	Preferred Form	Example
Definite plans	Present tense	Ich fliege morgen nach Rom.
Promises / intentions	Futur I	Ich werde dich anrufen.
Predictions	Futur I	Es wird regnen.
Assumptions about now	Futur I + wohl	Er wird wohl schlafen.
Scheduled events	Present tense	Der Zug kommt um 10 Uhr.

Examples in Context

German	English	Note
Ich werde morgen kommen.	I will come tomorrow.	Future intention
Es wird regnen.	It will rain.	Prediction
Er wird wohl schlafen.	He is probably sleeping.	Present assumption
Wir werden nächstes Jahr umziehen.	We will move next year.	Future plan
Du wirst das schaffen!	You will manage it!	Encouragement
Sie werden es bald erfahren.	They will find out soon.	Future certainty
Ich werde dir helfen.	I will help you.	Promise
Das wird nicht einfach werden.	That won't be easy.	Prediction with werden twice
Er wird wahrscheinlich spät kommen.	He will probably come late.	Future assumption
Wirst du mitkommen?	Will you come along?	Question about future
Sie wird wohl krank sein.	She is probably sick.	Present assumption

Common Mistakes

Overusing Futur I where present tense is more natural

• Stilted: Ich werde morgen in die Schule gehen.
• Natural: Ich gehe morgen in die Schule.
• Why: For concrete, planned future events, especially with a time expression, German strongly prefers the present tense. Futur I here sounds overly formal or emphatic.

Confusing werden (future) with werden (passive) and werden (become)

• Future: Ich werde kommen. (I will come.) — werden + infinitive
• Passive: Das Buch wird gelesen. (The book is being read.) — werden + past participle
• Become: Er wird Arzt. (He is becoming a doctor.) — werden + noun/adjective
• Why: "Werden" has three distinct uses. The key difference for Futur I is that it is always followed by an infinitive.

Missing the assumption meaning

• Misread: Er wird zu Hause sein as "He will be at home" (future)
• Likely meaning: He is probably at home (right now)
• Why: When combined with "wohl," "wahrscheinlich," or "sicher," Futur I typically expresses an assumption about the present, not a future action.

Usage Notes

In everyday spoken German, the present tense handles the vast majority of future references. "Ich mache das morgen" (I'll do that tomorrow) is standard. The Futur I is reserved for situations where you want to add emphasis, formality, or express uncertainty:

• Promises and resolutions: "Ich werde das nie wieder tun" (I will never do that again)
• Official announcements: "Die Regierung wird neue Maßnahmen einführen" (The government will introduce new measures)
• Assumptions: "Sie werden wohl schon angekommen sein" (They have probably arrived by now)

The assumption function is particularly important at B1+. It allows you to speculate politely: "Das wird schon stimmen" (That's probably correct). In conversation, this is more common than you might expect.

Note the double "werden" construction: "Das wird schwierig werden" (That will become difficult). Here the first "werden" is the future auxiliary, and the second is the main verb meaning "become."

Practice Tips

1. Practice making predictions about tomorrow's weather, your weekend plans, or upcoming events: "Es wird morgen sonnig sein. Ich werde am Samstag meine Freunde treffen."
2. Practice the assumption function with "wohl": look at situations and speculate. "Es ist 23 Uhr — er wird wohl schon schlafen. Sie ist nicht hier — sie wird wohl noch arbeiten."
3. Compare sentences in present tense and Futur I to feel the difference in emphasis: "Ich komme morgen" (neutral, I'm coming tomorrow) vs. "Ich werde morgen kommen" (emphatic, I WILL come tomorrow).

Related Concepts

• Regular Verbs (Present) — the present tense that often replaces Futur I for future meaning
• Subjunctive II with würde — uses the same verb "werden" in a different form for hypothetical situations
• Future Perfect (Futur II) — werden + past participle + haben/sein for completed future actions