CEFR A2
What you will learn
- Choose present, ir a + infinitive or simple future from the kind of future meaning and the evidence in context.
- Build regular and high-frequency irregular future forms for all six persons without dropping the infinitive ending.
- Build conditional forms and use the A2-supported pattern me gustaría + infinitive for a gentle wish, while reserving open unreal conditions for later study.
Before you start
- Have studied “The present tense: three endings to start speaking”.
The idea
A future time reference does not automatically require the simple future. Spanish can use the present for a fixed timetable, ir a + infinitive for an intention or decision already in motion, and the simple future for a projection, promise or plan viewed from now. Regional, genre and speaker preferences affect the balance, so this is a choice of viewpoint rather than a mechanical translation of English will. The conditional shares its stem with the future but changes the endings. At this stage, its safest productive role is the conventional wish pattern me gustaría + infinitive. The full form table is useful as a reference, but open hypothetical systems such as si pudiera, iría belong to later progression in the PCIC grammar inventory.
The simple future keeps the complete infinitive and adds one shared set of endings: -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis and -án. The conditional uses the same infinitive or irregular stem with -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais and -ían, so the person remains visible in the ending.
Form alone does not decide the message. Use a present form for a fixed timetable, ir a + infinitive for an established intention, the simple future for a projection or promise, and me gustaría + infinitive for a gentle wish that is not yet a plan.
Three productive A2 routes to future time
| route | best cue | transferable model | meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| present + future marker | fixed schedule or firm arrangement | El tren sale a primera hora. | the event is treated as scheduled |
| ir a + infinitive | decision or intention already made | Vamos a preparar la cena. | the plan is already in motion |
| simple future | projection, promise or plan viewed from now | La próxima semana terminaré el informe. | the speaker places the event ahead |
Complete regular simple future
| person | hablar | comer | vivir | ending |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hablaré | comeré | viviré | -é |
| tú | hablarás | comerás | vivirás | -ás |
| él / ella / usted | hablará | comerá | vivirá | -á |
| nosotros / nosotras | hablaremos | comeremos | viviremos | -emos |
| vosotros / vosotras | hablaréis | comeréis | viviréis | -éis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | hablarán | comerán | vivirán | -án |
Add the ending to the whole infinitive. All three conjugation families use the same six future endings.
Twelve high-frequency irregular future stems
| infinitive | shared stem | future model | conditional model |
|---|---|---|---|
| caber | cabr- | cabré | cabría |
| decir | dir- | diré | diría |
| haber | habr- | habrá | habría |
| hacer | har- | haré | haría |
| poder | podr- | podré | podría |
| poner | pondr- | pondré | pondría |
| querer | querr- | querré | querría |
| saber | sabr- | sabré | sabría |
| salir | saldr- | saldré | saldría |
| tener | tendr- | tendré | tendría |
| valer | valdr- | valdré | valdría |
| venir | vendr- | vendré | vendría |
These are the twelve base verbs named by the canonical entry. Related verbs may inherit a pattern, but this table is not a claim that every derivative or every verb in the language belongs to a closed twelve-item list.
Complete regular simple conditional
| person | hablar | comer | vivir | ending |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hablaría | comería | viviría | -ía |
| tú | hablarías | comerías | vivirías | -ías |
| él / ella / usted | hablaría | comería | viviría | -ía |
| nosotros / nosotras | hablaríamos | comeríamos | viviríamos | -íamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | hablaríais | comeríais | viviríais | -íais |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | hablarían | comerían | vivirían | -ían |
The conditional uses the same infinitive or irregular stem as the future. Its six endings all contain í.
A2-safe conditional production and later extensions
| scope | model | status here | reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| gentle wish | Me gustaría + infinitive. | productive | the PCIC A2 functions inventory includes this wish pattern |
| conventional softened question | ¿Podrías + infinitive? | recognition and optional use | useful canonical formula, but not treated as the basis of the A2 alignment claim |
| posterior event seen from the past | Dijo que vendría. | later study | developed in the PCIC B1-B2 grammar inventory |
| open unreal condition | Si pudiera, iría. | later study | requires the past subjunctive and a full conditional system |
How it sounds
- El museo abre a las diez; vamos a entrar a las once; a Julia le gustaría conocer la exposición otro día.The fixed timetable can use the present: el museo abre a las diez. The purchased tickets support an established intention: vamos a entrar a las once. The friend has no plan yet, so a wish is safer than a future commitment. Use me gustaría followed by a different infinitive to express that wish.
Check objective 1Another case
A proposed answer is “voy reservar” for this case: “The trip is already decided and the booking is the next planned step. Complete with ir a + infinitive: Esta tarde yo voy reservar el hotel. (reservar)”. Choose the only valid form.
A proposed answer is “va a reservar” for this case: “The trip is already decided and the booking is the next planned step. Complete with ir a + infinitive: Esta tarde yo va a reservar el hotel. (reservar)”. Choose the only valid form.
Answer available without interaction
Answer: voy a reservar — The context states an established plan, so ir a + infinitive is requested. First-person singular present of ir is voy, followed by a and the unchanged infinitive reservar.
The context states an established plan, so ir a + infinitive is requested. First-person singular present of ir is voy, followed by a and the unchanged infinitive reservar.
Answer: voy a reservar — The context states an established plan, so ir a + infinitive is requested. First-person singular present of ir is voy, followed by a and the unchanged infinitive reservar.
The context states an established plan, so ir a + infinitive is requested. First-person singular present of ir is voy, followed by a and the unchanged infinitive reservar.
Check objective 2Another case
A proposed answer is “haceremos” for this case: “The speaker presents a plan from now and the task requires the simple future. Complete: El año que viene nosotros haceremos un curso de portugués. (hacer)”. Choose the only valid form.
A proposed answer is “harán” for this case: “The speaker presents a plan from now and the task requires the simple future. Complete: El año que viene nosotros harán un curso de portugués. (hacer)”. Choose the only valid form.
Answer available without interaction
Answer: haremos — Simple future here uses har- with nosotros ending -emos: haremos.
Hacer uses the future stem har-. Nosotros takes -emos, so har- plus -emos gives haremos. The time marker and the required viewpoint eliminate present and ir a.
Answer: haremos — Simple future here uses har- with nosotros ending -emos: haremos.
Hacer uses the future stem har-. Nosotros takes -emos, so har- plus -emos gives haremos. The time marker and the required viewpoint eliminate present and ir a.
Check objective 3Another case
A proposed answer is “me gustará visitar” for this case: “There is no plan yet. Express a gentle wish with the conditional of gustar plus the supplied infinitive: Algún día me gustará visitar el sur de Chile. (visitar)”. Choose the only valid form.
A proposed answer is “me gustarían visitar” for this case: “There is no plan yet. Express a gentle wish with the conditional of gustar plus the supplied infinitive: Algún día me gustarían visitar el sur de Chile. (visitar)”. Choose the only valid form.
Answer available without interaction
Answer: me gustaría visitar — A gentle wish uses me gustaría plus infinitive visitar without asserting a plan.
The prompt asks for a wish rather than a plan. The A2-supported pattern is me gustaría plus the infinitive, producing me gustaría visitar; no unreal si clause is required.
Answer: me gustaría visitar — A gentle wish uses me gustaría plus infinitive visitar without asserting a plan.
The prompt asks for a wish rather than a plan. The A2-supported pattern is me gustaría plus the infinitive, producing me gustaría visitar; no unreal si clause is required.
What your own language pushes you to say
Wrong Mañana llamaré a Ana porque every future event needs the simple future.
Right Mañana voy a llamar a Ana: ya he tomado la decisión.
The corrected form presents an established intention. A promise or projection could use llamaré, while a fixed arrangement could use the present. The context, not mañana alone, makes the choice.
Challenge: apply every rule
Solve every case and justify each choice: 1) A proposed answer is “haremos” for this case: “The trip is already decided and the booking is the next planned step. Complete with ir a + infinitive: Esta tarde yo haremos el hotel. (reservar)”. Choose the only valid form. 2) A proposed answer is “voy a reservar” for this case: “The speaker presents a plan from now and the task requires the simple future. Complete: El año que viene nosotros voy a reservar un curso de portugués. (hacer)”. Choose the only valid form. 3) A proposed answer is “haremos” for this case: “There is no plan yet. Express a gentle wish with the conditional of gustar plus the supplied infinitive: Algún día haremos el sur de Chile. (visitar)”. Choose the only valid form.
Answer available without interaction
- Choose present, ir a + infinitive or simple future from the kind of future meaning and the evidence in context.
- Build regular and high-frequency irregular future forms for all six persons without dropping the infinitive ending.
- Build conditional forms and use the A2-supported pattern me gustaría + infinitive for a gentle wish, while reserving open unreal conditions for later study.
Answer: voy a reservar · haremos · me gustaría visitar
The context states an established plan, so ir a + infinitive is requested. First-person singular present of ir is voy, followed by a and the unchanged infinitive reservar. Hacer uses the future stem har-. Nosotros takes -emos, so har- plus -emos gives haremos. The time marker and the required viewpoint eliminate present and ir a. The prompt asks for a wish rather than a plan. The A2-supported pattern is me gustaría plus the infinitive, producing me gustaría visitar; no unreal si clause is required.
Curriculum alignment and sources
- A2 learners exchange simple information and ask and answer questions about plans and intentions. Selecting a Spanish future form is an editorial route to that capacity, not a CEFR grammar prescription. · coe-cefr-companion-2020-es
- The A2 functions inventory presents future plans through present, ir a + infinitive and a future form, and presents wishes through me gustaría + infinitive. · ic-pcic-functions-a1-a2
- The A1-A2 grammar inventory leaves future imperfect and conditional simple undeveloped. Full paradigms in this unit are therefore an explicitly local editorial extension. · ic-pcic-grammar-a1-a2
- The B1-B2 grammar inventory develops full future and conditional morphology plus conjecture and unreal conditions. Those broader discourse uses are not assessed in this residual A2.2 unit. · ic-pcic-grammar-b1-b2
Continue along this corridor
Practise this: Three ways of saying “will”The present tense: three endings to start speakingEssential irregular present forms for A1Real si-clauses: conditions the speaker still treats as possibleCompound tenses as timelines and speaker stance