Futur 1 in German: Easy Guide to the German Future Tense

verbs

Mar 21

If you want to talk about the future in German, you need to know Futur 1. This tense helps you say what will happen, what you plan to do, and what you think is probably true. If you already know the basics of the German future tense, this deep dive will help you understand Futur 1 in more detail and use it with more confidence.

Recommended study materials on the topic:

Langenscheidt Go Smart - German Verbs
A-Grammar: Practice German grammar German (incl. answers)
German self-study book for A1-B1 (incl. answers)
German Verb Charts: Learning Regular and Irregular Verbs at a glance

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German Future Tense (Futur 1) | Grammar & Conversation PDF Bundle

€6.00

What is Futur 1 in German?

Futur 1 is the future tense in German. We use it to talk about things that will happen in the future. It is also used for predictions, promises, and assumptions.

Ich werde morgen arbeiten. → I will work tomorrow.
Wir werden nächstes Jahr nach Berlin ziehen. → We will move to Berlin next year.
Er wird später anrufen. → He will call later.

Futur 1 is an important German grammar topic because it helps you speak about plans and future actions with confidence.

How to form Futur 1 in German

The structure of Futur 1 is very simple:

werden + infinitive

The verb werden is conjugated, and the main verb stays in the infinitive at the end of the sentence. This is the basic rule shown in the worksheet material.

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

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Basic formula

Subject + werden + ... + infinitive

Example:

Ich werde Deutsch lernen. → I will learn German.
Du wirst morgen kommen. → You will come tomorrow.
Wir werden ein neues Auto kaufen. → We will buy a new car.

The most important thing to remember is this: the main verb goes to the end.

When do we use Futur 1?

You can use Futur 1 in German in several ways.

1. To talk about future plans

Use Futur 1 when you want to say what will happen later.

Examples:

Ich werde morgen früh aufstehen. → I will get up early tomorrow.
Wir werden am Wochenende Freunde besuchen. → We will visit friends at the weekend.
Sie wird im Sommer Urlaub machen. → She will go on holiday in the summer.

This is one of the most common uses of the future tense in German.

2. To make a prediction

You can use Futur 1 when you think something will happen.

Examples:

Es wird morgen regnen. → It will rain tomorrow.
Du wirst die Prüfung bestehen. → You will pass the exam.
Das wird schwierig sein. → That will be difficult.

This is helpful when you want to guess or predict the future.

3. To make a promise

Futur 1 can also sound strong and clear when you promise something.

Examples:

Ich werde dir helfen. → I will help you.
Wir werden das Problem lösen. → We will solve the problem.
Ich werde pünktlich sein. → I will be on time.

Futur 1 often sounds more direct and more serious than the present tense.

Futur 1 or present tense in German?

This is a very important point. In German, people often use the present tense to talk about the future, especially when there is a time word like morgen, später, or nächstes Jahr. This is also explained in the source material.

Example with present tense:

Morgen gehe ich zum Arzt.

Example with Futur 1:

Morgen werde ich zum Arzt gehen.

Both are correct. The difference is that Futur 1 often sounds more formal or more strongly emphasized.

So which one should you use?

In everyday German:

Present tense is very common
Futur 1 is used for emphasis, formal speech, or clear predictions

That means you do not need Futur 1 in every future sentence. But you should still learn it well, because it is part of standard German grammar.

Worksheet bundle for Futur 1

If you want more practice, there is also a worksheet bundle for Futur 1. It is a helpful way to review the rules, practice sentence building, and feel more confident with the German future tense.

The worksheet bundle is perfect for self-study, homework, or extra grammar practice. It can help you understand werden + infinitive, use Futur 1 in real sentences, and see when to use Futur 1 or present tense.

Final thoughts on Futur 1 in German

Futur 1 is not difficult once you know the pattern. Start with werden, put the main verb at the end, and practice with short sentences. Then learn the second use too: Futur 1 for assumptions.

If you want to speak and write German more clearly, this tense is worth learning well.

You can also learn how to form the German Partizip 2, because you need it to build the German Perfekt tense.

Bis bald!

Steffie