Future Tense in Swedish

Overview

Swedish does not have a dedicated future tense verb conjugation the way some languages do. Instead, it expresses future meaning through several constructions, each carrying a slightly different nuance. This is good news for learners at the B1 level -- you do not need to memorize new verb endings, but you do need to understand which construction fits which situation.

The three main ways to express the future in Swedish are ska + infinitive, kommer att + infinitive, and the present tense with a future time expression. Each one signals something different about the speaker's intention, certainty, or perspective, and choosing the right one is an important part of sounding natural.

Understanding these distinctions will significantly improve your ability to discuss plans, make predictions, and talk about upcoming events -- skills that are central to the B1 level and beyond.

How It Works

The three future constructions

Construction	Form	Primary Use	Example
ska + infinitive	ska + verb	Intention, plan, decision	Jag ska resa imorgon.
kommer att + infinitive	kommer att + verb	Prediction, expectation	Det kommer att regna.
Present tense + time adverb	present verb + time word	Scheduled/certain events	Vi åker nästa vecka.

ska + infinitive

Ska signals that the speaker has made a decision, has a plan, or intends to do something. It often implies personal will or commitment:

• Jag ska bli läkare. (I'm going to become a doctor.) -- life plan
• Vi ska träffas imorgon. (We're going to meet tomorrow.) -- arrangement
• Han ska sluta röka. (He's going to quit smoking.) -- decision

Ska can also be used for promises, threats, and instructions.

kommer att + infinitive

Kommer att is used for predictions and statements about what is expected to happen, often without personal control over the outcome:

• Det kommer att regna hela veckan. (It's going to rain all week.) -- weather prediction
• Priserna kommer att stiga. (Prices are going to rise.) -- forecast
• Du kommer att älska den här filmen. (You're going to love this movie.) -- expectation

In spoken Swedish, att is often dropped: Det kommer regna.

Present tense with time adverb

When an event is scheduled, routine, or seen as certain, Swedish simply uses the present tense with a time marker:

• Tåget går klockan tre. (The train leaves at three.) -- timetable
• Vi åker nästa vecka. (We're leaving next week.) -- fixed plan
• Jag börjar på måndag. (I start on Monday.) -- scheduled

This is the most common way to express near-future events in casual speech.

Word order

All future constructions follow V2 word order in main clauses:

Position 1	Verb	Subject	...	Infinitive
Imorgon	ska	jag	--	resa
Det	kommer att	--	--	regna
Nästa vecka	åker	vi	--	--

Examples in Context

Swedish	English	Note
Jag ska resa imorgon.	I'm going to travel tomorrow.	ska = plan/intention
Det kommer att regna hela dagen.	It's going to rain all day.	kommer att = prediction
Vi åker nästa vecka.	We're leaving next week.	Present tense + time adverb
Hon ska bli läkare.	She's going to become a doctor.	ska = life plan
De kommer att bli förvånade.	They're going to be surprised.	kommer att = expectation
Matchen börjar klockan sju.	The match starts at seven.	Present for scheduled event
Ska du vara med ikväll?	Are you going to join tonight?	ska in a question
Det kommer att ta lång tid.	It's going to take a long time.	kommer att = neutral prediction
Vi ska fira midsommar i år.	We're going to celebrate Midsummer this year.	ska = plan
Jag ska inte jobba imorgon.	I'm not going to work tomorrow.	ska + inte
Han kommer inte att gilla det.	He's not going to like it.	kommer att + inte
Butiken stänger om en timme.	The shop closes in an hour.	Present for near future

Common Mistakes

Wrong: Jag kommer att resa imorgon. (when you mean it is your plan) Right: Jag ska resa imorgon. Why: When you have made a decision or plan, use ska. Kommer att is for predictions, not personal plans.

Wrong: Det ska regna imorgon. (weather forecast) Right: Det kommer att regna imorgon. Why: Weather is not anyone's intention -- it is a prediction, so kommer att is the natural choice.

Wrong: Jag ska att resa. Right: Jag ska resa. Why: Ska takes a bare infinitive directly. Do not insert att between ska and the verb.

Wrong: Jag kommer resa imorgon. (in writing) Right: Jag kommer att resa imorgon. Why: While dropping att is acceptable in speech, written Swedish expects the full kommer att form.

Usage Notes

In everyday spoken Swedish, the present tense with a time expression is by far the most common way to refer to the near future. Swedes rarely say jag ska gå till affären when jag går till affären nu feels more natural.

The distinction between ska and kommer att is meaningful but somewhat flexible. In casual speech, Swedes sometimes use ska where kommer att would be more precise, especially in southern dialects. However, maintaining the distinction will make your Swedish clearer and more precise.

In formal contexts such as news reports and official statements, kommer att is the standard choice for predictions and forecasts. Government communications and journalism lean heavily on this construction.

Finland-Swedish follows the same patterns, though the present-tense-for-future construction may be slightly less common in formal Finland-Swedish writing.

Practice Tips

1. Sort future sentences -- collect ten sentences about the future and categorize them: is it a plan (ska), a prediction (kommer att), or a scheduled event (present tense)? This sharpens your instinct for which construction to use.

2. Plan your weekend aloud -- describe your weekend plans using ska, then describe the weather forecast using kommer att, and mention any fixed appointments using present tense. Hit all three constructions in one exercise.

3. Listen for the difference -- when watching Swedish media, notice how speakers choose between ska and kommer att. News anchors tend to favor kommer att for predictions, while interviewees use ska for their personal plans.

Related Concepts

• Modal Verbs (parent) -- ska is one of the core Swedish modal verbs, and understanding modals is the foundation for future constructions