Simple Future: Regular -er and -ir Verbs

Most Portuguese tenses require you to chop off the ending of a verb. You usually remove the -er or -ir and add something else. This tense is different. It is much kinder to your brain. You keep the entire verb exactly as it is. This is called the infinitive form. If the verb is comer (to eat), you use the whole word comer. If the verb is partir (to leave), you use partir. Then, you simply attach a specific ending to the very end of that word. These endings tell us who is doing the action. The best part? The endings are the same for all regular verbs. It doesn't matter if they end in -ar, -er, or -ir. Once you learn the six endings, you have unlocked the future for thousands of verbs. It’s like a universal remote for Portuguese grammar. Yes, even native speakers appreciate how logical this one is!

1. 1To build this tense, follow these three simple steps. First, take your regular -er or -ir verb in its base form. Second, identify the person you are talking about. Third, glue the matching ending onto the full verb. Here is the breakdown of the endings you need to memorize:
2. 2For Eu (I), add -ei. Example: Eu comerei (I will eat).
3. 3For Tu (You - informal), add -ás. Example: Tu comerás (You will eat).
4. 4For Ele/Ela/Você (He/She/You), add -á. Example: Ela comerá (She will eat).
5. 5For Nós (We), add -emos. Example: Nós comeremos (We will eat).
6. 6For Vós (You all - very formal/archaic), add -eis. Example: Vós comereis.
7. 7For Eles/Elas/Vocês (They/You all), add -ão. Example: Eles comerão (They will eat).
8. 8Notice that the accent marks are very important. The á in comerá changes the stress of the word. Without it, the word sounds flat and wrong. Think of the accent like a little sparkler at the end of the verb. It makes the future shine!

You use this tense when you want to sound certain or official. Imagine you are in a job interview. You want to sound professional. You might say, Eu aprenderei rápido (I will learn fast). It sounds much stronger than the casual way of speaking. Use it for big life promises too. Eu te amarei para sempre (I will love you forever) is a classic line for a reason. It carries weight and gravity. It is also the go-to tense for predictions. Scientists use it for weather reports or economic forecasts. Amanhã choverá (It will rain tomorrow). You will also find it in horoscopes and legal documents. If you are reading a contract, this is the tense that tells you what the company fará (will do). It is the language of commitment. Think of it as the "serious" future.

Do not use this tense if you are just hanging out with friends. If you are at a bar and say Eu beberei uma cerveja, people might look at you funny. It sounds like you are a character in a 19th-century novel. In daily life, Brazilians and Portuguese people prefer the "periphrastic" future. This is just a fancy name for using the verb ir (to go) plus the main verb. Instead of comerei, most people say vou comer. It is faster and more relaxed. Avoid the simple future for immediate plans too. If you are about to open a door, don't say abrirei a porta. Say vou abrir. Save the simple future for things that are a bit further away. Or for when you need to sound like the most educated person in the room. It's like a tuxedo; you don't wear it to the beach.

The biggest mistake learners make is confusing -ão with -am. In Portuguese, -am is for the past, and -ão is for the future. Eles comeram means they ate. Eles comerão means they will eat. They sound very different! The future ending -ão is nasal and strong. The past ending -am is short and quiet. If you mix them up, you might tell someone they already finished their dinner when you meant to say it's coming soon. Another mistake is forgetting the accent on the á. Without the accent, comerá looks like it belongs in another tense. Also, don't try to remove the -er or -ir from the stem. If you say comerei, you are a star. If you say comei, you are accidentally using the past tense. Remember: keep the whole verb alive!

Let’s compare the two main futures. We have the Futuro do Presente (comerei) and the Futuro Próximo (vou comer). The difference is mostly about tone and distance. Vou comer is your everyday tool. You use it for things happening soon. It is friendly and common. Comerei is more abstract. It is used for things that are certain but perhaps further off. It is the difference between "I'm gonna do it" and "I shall do it." Another contrast is with the Futuro do Pretérito (Conditional). Eu comeria means "I would eat." It sounds similar to comerei, but that one extra i changes everything. One is a plan; the other is a dream. Make sure you don't swap them, or your plans will turn into "maybe" scenarios!