O Futuro Simples
The Portuguese simple future. Eu falarei, tu falarás, ele falará. In modern conversation, ir + infinitive (vou falar) dominates; the simple future survives in formal writing, predictions, and emphatic statements. Mastering both is essential.
The futuro simples is the Portuguese formal future tense, used for predictions, promises, formal statements, and emphatic declarations.
In modern conversational Portuguese, the ir + infinitive construction (vou falar) dominates. The futuro simples survives in:
- Formal writing
- Solemn promises and oaths
- Predictions about the future
- Conditional and hypothetical contexts
- Polite questions
Both forms are correct. Choosing between them is a matter of register.
Forms — regular verbs
The futuro simples is one of the most regular conjugations in Portuguese. Take the entire infinitive and add the endings.
| falar | comer | partir | |
|---|---|---|---|
| eu | falarei | comerei | partirei |
| tu | falarás | comerás | partirás |
| ele/ela | falará | comerá | partirá |
| nós | falaremos | comeremos | partiremos |
| vós | falareis | comereis | partireis |
| eles/elas | falarão | comerão | partirão |
The endings are: -ei, -ás, -á, -emos, -eis, -ão. They are the same for all three conjugations.
Important notes
- Accent marks on the singular forms (-ás, -á) and the eles form (-ão) are mandatory.
- These endings derive historically from the verb haver + infinitive. Falarei originally meant I have to speak. The grammaticalisation is now complete.
Irregular verbs in the futuro simples
Only three verbs are irregular. The irregularity is just a shortened stem.
fazer → far-
| fazer | |
|---|---|
| eu | farei |
| tu | farás |
| ele | fará |
| nós | faremos |
| eles | farão |
dizer → dir-
| dizer | |
|---|---|
| eu | direi |
| tu | dirás |
| ele | dirá |
| nós | diremos |
| eles | dirão |
trazer → trar-
| trazer | |
|---|---|
| eu | trarei |
| tu | trarás |
| ele | trará |
| nós | traremos |
| eles | trarão |
All other verbs are regular. Even ser, ir, estar, ter, ver, vir use the regular pattern.
When to use the futuro simples
1. Predictions and forecasts
Amanhã choverá. — Tomorrow it will rain. O eclipse acontecerá em maio. — The eclipse will happen in May.
2. Formal promises and declarations
Pagarei a minha dívida. — I shall pay my debt. Honrarei a minha palavra. — I will keep my word.
These have a more solemn, weighty tone than vou pagar / vou honrar.
3. Polite or rhetorical questions
Será que ele já chegou? — I wonder if he has already arrived. Que dirá ele quando souber? — What will he say when he finds out?
The futuro simples in questions often expresses speculation or rhetorical wondering.
4. Conditional and hypothetical contexts
Se eu puder, irei. — If I can, I will go. Quando chegar, falaremos. — When you arrive, we will speak.
After se + future subjunctive or quando + future subjunctive, the main clause often takes the futuro simples.
5. Formal writing — newspapers, legal texts
The futuro simples is the default form in journalism, legal writing, and academic prose.
O presidente visitará Lisboa. — The president will visit Lisbon.
Ir + infinitive — the everyday future
In modern Portuguese (especially Brazilian), the most common way to express future is ir + infinitive.
Vou falar com ele. — I’m going to speak with him. Vamos comer fora. — We’re going to eat out.
The forms of ir in the present:
| ir | |
|---|---|
| eu | vou |
| tu | vais |
| ele | vai |
| nós | vamos |
| eles | vão |
This construction dominates Brazilian conversation almost completely. In European Portuguese, it’s also widespread in informal speech, with the futuro simples reserved for formal or written contexts.
Eu vou ao supermercado amanhã. (casual) Eu irei ao supermercado amanhã. (formal)
Present tense for near future
Like English, Portuguese sometimes uses the present tense for scheduled near-future actions:
Amanhã trabalho até às seis. — Tomorrow I work until six. O comboio chega às oito. — The train arrives at eight.
This is common in casual speech.
Probability — present-time speculation
A distinctive feature: the futuro simples can express present probability or conjecture.
Onde estará o João? — Where could João be? (= I wonder where he is) Será verdade? — Could it be true? Que horas serão? — What time could it be?
Here the future tense doesn’t refer to future time — it expresses uncertainty about the present.
This usage is common in Portuguese and characteristic of the language.
What you don’t need to do
You don’t need to use the futuro simples in casual conversation. Vou + infinitive covers it.
You don’t need to memorise more than three irregular verbs. Only fazer, dizer, trazer (and their compounds) are irregular.
You don’t need to drop the accent marks. Falará without the accent is wrong.
Common confusions
- Vou + infinitive vs. futuro simples. Use vou for casual; futuro simples for formal and weighty contexts.
- Futuro simples for present probability. Onde estará? = I wonder where he is, not a future statement.
- Three irregular stems. Farei, direi, trarei. Everything else is regular.
- Accents on -á, -ás, -ão. Mandatory in writing.
Where you’ll meet it in the library
The futuro simples appears in formal and emotional declarations:
- Dom Quixote (A2+) — Don Quixote’s solemn vows fit the dignified futuro simples. The chivalric register demands it.
- O Estrangeiro (B1+) — Camus’s flat, predictable future fits the futuro simples better than vou + infinitive, capturing the protagonist’s distance from his own life.
- Um Conto de Natal (A2+) — Dickens’s Scrooge undergoes a transformation expressed in the formal future. Each promise is a futuro simples vow.
Where you'll see this in books.
Eu serei o cavaleiro mais nobre do mundo. Lutarei contra todos os gigantes. Salvarei a minha amada Dulcinea. Restaurarei a justiça em todas as terras.
Amanhã irei trabalhar. Tomarei o autocarro como sempre. Verei os mesmos colegas. Falarei pouco, como costumo fazer. Nada mudará.
Honrarei o Natal no meu coração. Tentarei guardá-lo durante todo o ano. Viverei no Passado, no Presente e no Futuro. Os Espíritos de todos os três permanecerão dentro de mim.