Conveying the future in German can be done in several ways - by using werden, by combining the present tense with future time phrases, or by using phrases like ich hoffe, ich plane zu, ich habe vor.
Future plans can be expressed by using the present tense followed by a future time phrase, just as we do in English, eg
Wir fahren nächste Woche in die Turkei. – We are going to Turkey next week.
Ich spiele morgen Netzball. – I'm playing netball tomorrow.
Hilfsvokabeln– Helpful vocabulary
There are countless time phrases that you can use to express your future wishes, but here are some of the most useful ones.
im Frühling – in spring
im Herbst – in autumn
im Sommer – in summer
im Winter – in winter
in den Ferien – in the holidays
in der Oberstufe – in sixth form
in der Zukunft – in the future
in zehn Minuten – in ten minutes
morgen – tomorrow
nach der Schule – after school
nächsten Dienstag – next Tuesday
nächstes Jahr – next year
nächsten Monat – next month
nächste Woche – next week
später – later on
Question
How would you translate these phrases?
Wir essen in den Ferien im Restaurant.
Fährst du nächste Woche nach Wien?
Mein Bruder geht später mit Freunden ins Kino.
Anja und Mesut haben nächsten Mai Prüfungen
Ich mache am Wochenende Hausaufgaben.
We're going to eat in the restaurant in the holidays.
Are you going to Vienna next week?
My brother's going to the cinema later on with friends.
Anja and Mesut will have/are going to have exams next May.
I'll do homework at the weekend.
Morgen, morgen, nur nicht heute, sagen alle faulen Leute. – Don’t put off till tomorrow what can be done today. (literally: Tomorrow, tomorrow, not only today, say all lazy people.)
