Future Perfect in Spanish

The future perfect is a verb tense that we use in Spanish to talk about something that will have been completed in the future or to make assumptions about something that has already happened. 

This tense may sound a bit advanced, but you will see that it is very useful when we want to express the idea of something that will already be done at a future moment.

In this article, you will learn what the future perfect is, how it is formed, its uses, and the common mistakes to avoid. Let’s get started!

What is the Future Perfect in Spanish?

The future perfect is used to describe future actions that will be completed before a certain moment. We also use it to make assumptions about something that happened in the past. Examples of sentences in the future perfect in Spanish:

• Para las cinco, habré terminado el informe. (By five o'clock, I will have finished the report.) (completed action in the future)
• Cuando llegues, ya habré preparado la cena. (When you arrive, I will have already prepared dinner.) (something that will already be done in the future)
• En dos años, habremos ahorrado suficiente dinero. (In two years, we will have saved enough money.) (projected plan for the future)
• Habrá salido de casa, supongo. (He/She will have left home, I suppose.) (assumption about something past)
• A esta hora, ya habrán llegado a su destino. (By this time, they will have already arrived at their destination.) (assuming something about a past event)

As you can see, this verb tense helps us speak more precisely about the future and our expectations about actions that will already be completed.

How to Form the Future Perfect in Spanish

To form the future perfect, we use the verb “haber” in the future tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb. The participle is formed by adding “-ado” for -ar verbs and “-ido” for verbs that end in -er and -ir.

Structure of the Future Perfect

Examples with Regular Verbs:

-ar Verbs:

Example with the verb hablar (speak): habré hablado, habrás hablado, habrá hablado, habremos hablado, habréis hablado, habrán hablado. (I will have spoken, you will have spoken, he/she will have spoken, we will have spoken, you all will have spoken, they will have spoken.)

Examples of verbs in the future perfect with -ar ending:

• Yo habré hablado con el jefe antes de las tres. (I will have spoken with the boss before three o'clock.)
• Tú habrás hablado con ellos para entonces. (You will have talked with them by then.)
• Ella habrá hablado con sus padres. (She will have spoken with her parents.)
• Nosotros habremos hablado de nuestros planes. (We will have talked about our plans.)
• Ellos habrán hablado sobre el proyecto. (They will have talked about the project.)

-er Verbs:

Example with the verb comer (eat): habré comido, habrás comido, habrá comido, habremos comido, habréis comido, habrán comido. (I will have eaten, you will have eaten, he/she will have eaten, we will have eaten, you all will have eaten, they will have eaten.)

Examples of verbs in the future perfect with -er ending:

• Yo habré comido para el mediodía. (I will have eaten by noon.)
• Tú habrás comido antes de la reunión. (You will have eaten before the meeting.)
• Él habrá comido algo ligero. (He will have eaten something light.)
• Nosotros habremos comido juntos. (We will have eaten together.)
• Ellos habrán comido al terminar la clase. (They will have eaten when the class is over.)

-ir Verbs:

Example with the verb vivir (live): habré vivido, habrás vivido, habrá vivido, habremos vivido, habréis vivido, habrán vivido. (I will have lived, you will have lived, he/she will have lived, we will have lived, you all will have lived, they will have lived.)

Examples of verbs in the future perfect with -ir ending:

• Yo habré vivido en esta ciudad por diez años. (I will have lived in this city for ten years.)
• Tú habrás vivido en varios países. (You will have lived in several countries.)
• Ella habrá vivido sola para entonces. (She will have lived alone by then.)
• Nosotros habremos vivido en el campo por mucho tiempo. (We will have lived in the countryside for a long time.)
• Ellos habrán vivido aquí toda su vida. (They will have lived here their entire life.)

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Irregular verbs

In the future perfect, some verbs use irregular participles, which do not follow the -ado or --ido endings. These verbs are very common in Spanish and it is important to memorize them to conjugate them properly.

Hacer (to do): habré hecho, habrás hecho, habrá hecho, habremos hecho, habréis hecho, habrán hecho. (I will have done/made, you will have done/made, he/she will have done/made, we will have done/made, you all will have done/made, they will have done/made.) Examples:

• Yo habré hecho la tarea para las ocho. (I will have done the homework by eight o'clock.)
• Tú habrás hecho el trabajo antes de irte. (You will have done the work before you leave.)
• Él habrá hecho los preparativos. (He will have made the preparations.)
• Nosotros habremos hecho las compras. (We will have done the shopping.)
• Ellos habrán hecho todo para la fiesta. (They will have done everything for the party.)

Decir (to say): habré dicho, habrás dicho, habrá dicho, habremos dicho, habréis dicho, habrán dicho. (I will have said, you will have said, he/she will have said, we will have said, you all will have said, they will have said.) Examples:

• Yo habré dicho la verdad. (I will have told the truth.)
• Tú habrás dicho algo interesante. (You will have said something interesting.)
• Ella habrá dicho lo que pensaba. (She will have said what she thought.)
• Nosotros habremos dicho nuestras opiniones. (We will have said our opinions.)
• Ellos habrán dicho lo que querían. (They will have said what they wanted.)

Escribir (to write): habré escrito, habrás escrito, habrá escrito, habremos escrito, habréis escrito, habrán escrito. (I will have written, you will have written, he will have written, we will have written, you will have written, they will have written). Examples:

• Yo habré escrito el informe. (I will have written the report.)
• Tú habrás escrito tu carta de recomendación. (You will have written your letter of recommendation.)
• Él habrá escrito el ensayo. (He will have written the essay.)
• Nosotros habremos escrito el artículo juntos. (We will have written the article together.)
• Ellos habrán escrito su versión. (They will have written their version.)

Ver (to see): habré visto, habrás visto, habrá visto, habremos visto, habréis visto, habrán visto.  (I will have seen, you will have seen, he will have seen, we will have seen, you will have seen, they will have seen). Examples:

• Yo habré visto la película para el viernes. (I will have seen the movie by Friday.)
• Tú habrás visto a tus amigos. (You will have seen your friends.)
• Ella habrá visto el nuevo museo. (She will have seen the new museum.)
• Nosotros habremos visto las noticias. (We will have seen the news.)
• Ellos habrán visto el atardecer. (They will have seen the sunset.)

Abrir (to open): habré abierto, habrás abierto, habrá abierto, habrá abierto, habremos abierto, habréis abierto, habrán abierto. (I will have opened, you will have opened, he/she will have opened, we will have opened, you all will have opened, they will have opened.) Examples:

• Yo habré abierto la tienda. (I will have opened the store.)
• Tú habrás abierto la carta. (You will have opened the letter.)
• Él habrá abierto la puerta. (He will have opened the door.)
• Nosotros habremos abierto el camino. (We will have opened the way.)
• Ellos habrán abierto sus mentes a nuevas ideas. (They will have opened their minds to new ideas.)

Future perfect of indicative and subjunctive

We use the future perfect of indicative to express events that will have been completed before a time in the future or to make assumptions. This is the most common use of the future perfect. Examples of future perfect indicative:

• Habré terminado el proyecto para entonces. (I will have finished the project by then.)
• Habremos comprado la casa antes de mudarnos. (We will have bought the house before we move in.)
• Ella habrá terminado la carrera para el próximo año. (She will have finished her degree by next year.)
• Para mañana, tú habrás resuelto el problema. (By tomorrow, you will have solved the problem.)
• Ellos habrán cumplido todo lo que prometieron. (They will have fulfilled everything they promised.)

On the other hand, the future perfect subjunctive is used in very formal or literary contexts and in conditional or doubtful sentences, so it’s quite rare to use it in everyday conversation. Examples of future perfect subjunctive:

• Si hubiere llegado a tiempo, lo habríamos visto. (If he had arrived on time, we would have seen him.)
• Cuando hubiere terminado, avisará al jefe. (When he has finished, he will tell the boss.)
• Es posible que hubiere aceptado la oferta. (It is possible that he would have accepted the offer.)
• Si hubiere entendido, no tendría dudas. (If he had understood, he would have no doubts.)
• Cuando hubiere aprobado, celebrará. (When he had passed, he would celebrate.)

Common Mistakes with the Future Perfect and How to Avoid Them

Confusing It with the Present Perfect

This is common because both the present perfect and the future perfect use the verb “haber” plus a participle, but they have different meanings. We use the future perfect for something that will be completed in the future, while the present perfect talks about something that has already occurred.

• Incorrect: Para el viernes, he terminado el trabajo. (By Friday, I have finished the work.)
• Correct: Para el viernes, habré terminado el trabajo. (By Friday, I will have finished the work.)

Using the Regular Participle Instead of the Irregular

Many students forget that some verbs have irregular participles and conjugate them incorrectly, which is why we recommend studying them carefully.

• Incorrect: Habrá rompido el vaso.
• Correct: Habrá roto el vaso. (He/She will have broken the glass.)

Forgetting the Correct Conjugation of “Haber” in the Future

Sometimes, students use the present conjugation of “haber” instead of the future, which can confuse your readers or listeners.

• Incorrect: He terminado para esa hora. (I have finished by that hour.)
• Correct: Habré terminado para esa hora. (I will have finished by that hour.)

Summary

The future perfect is a valuable tool in Spanish for talking about completed actions in the future and also for making assumptions about different facts.

Reviewing this verb tense through the Promova app will help you communicate more precisely about the future and also understand more formal phrases in Spanish.

Keep practicing, and you will see how you improve in no time!