Talking about the future
Present arrangements, careful use of anar a, synthetic future, and time expressions.
Catalan usually talks about plans with the present or the synthetic future
Anar a + infinitive exists, but careful Catalan does not use it as freely as Spanish ir a or French aller for every future. It naturally introduces an imminent/intended action—often in announcements—or retains a sense of movement toward doing something. Fixed arrangements commonly use the present; predictions and promises use the synthetic future.
Three future perspectives
| Form | Best use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| present + future time | arrangement, timetable, certain plan | Demà quedem a les vuit. |
| anar a + infinitive | immediate intention, transition, movement-oriented plan | Ara us vaig a explicar el procediment. |
| synthetic future | prediction, promise, inference, less immediate plan | Demà plourà. · Ja t’ho diré. |
Do not confuse the periphrastic past
Vaig parlar without a means “I spoke”. Vaig a parlar means “I am going/about to speak”. Vaig a Barcelona means “I’m going to Barcelona”. This single preposition changes tense and structure.
Synthetic future endings
| Person | parlar | perdre | dormir |
|---|---|---|---|
| jo | parlaré | perdré | dormiré |
| tu | parlaràs | perdràs | dormiràs |
| ell/ella | parlarà | perdrà | dormirà |
| nosaltres | parlarem | perdrem | dormirem |
| vosaltres | parlareu | perdreu | dormireu |
| ells/elles | parlaran | perdran | dormiran |
Common irregular stems include faré, diré, podré, voldré, tindré, vindré, sabré, hauré.
Useful future time expressions
demà, demà passat, aquesta tarda, la setmana que ve, d’aquí a una hora, aviat, més endavant, algun dia. D’aquí a measures forward from now: Torno d’aquí a deu minuts.
Examples in context
Demà dinem amb els meus pares.
Tomorrow we’re having lunch with my parents.
El tren surt a les set i vint.
The train leaves at 7:20.
Ara us vaig a mostrar els resultats.
Now I’m going to show you the results.
Espera un moment: vaig a buscar una cadira.
Wait a moment: I’m going to get a chair.
Aquest cap de setmana farà bon temps.
The weather will be good this weekend.
No et preocupis; ja ho faré jo.
Don’t worry; I’ll do it.
D’aquí a dos mesos ens traslladarem.
In two months we’ll move.
Potser arribarà una mica més tard.
Perhaps she’ll arrive a little later.
Your progress stays privately in this browser.