Irregular Future: Fazer

Normally, to form the future tense, you take the whole verb. For example, falar becomes falarei. But fazer is a bit of a rebel. It refuses to use its full name. Instead of using fazer as the base, it uses far-. This shortened stem is where all the magic happens. You take this tiny far- and then you stick the endings on. This happens because the old Latin version was a bit clunky. Over time, people got lazy and shortened it. Now, we are left with this cool, short version. It’s like how "do not" becomes "don't" in English. Except here, it’s mandatory if you want to use this tense. It might feel weird at first. You might want to say fazerei. Resist that urge! Your ears will get used to the far- sound quickly. It actually sounds quite elegant once you get the hang of it.

1. 1Learning the steps makes it much easier to remember. Let's break it down into simple moves.
2. 2Start with the infinitive verb fazer (to do or to make).
3. 3Chop off the ze. You are left with the stem far-.
4. 4Identify your subject (who is doing the action?).
5. 5Add the standard future endings to your new stem far-.
6. 6Here is how those endings look on the stem:
7. 7Eu (I): far + ei = farei
8. 8Tu (You, informal): far + ás = farás
9. 9Você/Ele/Ela (You/He/She): far + á = fará
10. 10Nós (We): far + emos = faremos
11. 11Vós (You all, formal/plural): far + eis = fareis (rarely used outside books)
12. 12Vocês/Eles/Elas (You all/They): far + ão = farão
13. 13Notice that the endings are actually the present tense of haver. That’s a fun little history fact for your next dinner party. Yes, I'm fun at parties, I promise!

This tense isn't for your everyday "I'm going to the store" chat. It carries more weight. Use it when you are making a formal promise. Imagine you are in a job interview. You want to sound professional and committed. You might say, "I will do my best." In Portuguese, that is Farei o meu melhor. It sounds much stronger than the casual version.

You also use it for predictions. This is common in news reports or weather forecasts. "It will be sunny tomorrow" uses this tense: Amanhã fará sol. It feels like a statement of fact about the future.

Another scenario is a formal speech or a written document. If you are writing a business email, this tense is your best friend. It shows you have a high level of the language. It also works for hypothetical futures in "if" sentences. "If I have time, I will do the exercise." That becomes Se eu tiver tempo, farei o exercício.

Don't use this in a casual cafe with friends. You will sound like a character from a 19th-century novel. For everyday plans, stick to ir + infinitive. For example, Vou fazer o jantar (I'm going to make dinner) is much more natural.

Also, avoid it for things happening right now or in five minutes. If you are literally about to do something, use the present tense or the ir construction. The future simple is for the "real" future. It’s for things that haven't started yet.

Think of it like a tuxedo. You don't wear a tuxedo to buy bread. You wear it for a wedding or a gala. This tense is the tuxedo of Portuguese verbs. Use it when the occasion calls for a bit of class. If you use it too much, people might think you're a bit stiff. Balance is key!

The biggest trap is trying to be regular. Many learners say fazerei. It makes sense logically, but it’s wrong. It sounds like saying "I maked" in English. It hurts the ears of a native speaker! Always remember to trim the verb down to far-.

Another mistake is the accent marks. In the future tense, accents are crucial. If you miss the accent on fará, it might look like something else entirely. Those little marks tell you where to put the stress. The stress is almost always on the ending. Say fa-RÁ, not FA-ra.

Mixing up the nós form is also common. People sometimes try to add an accent to faremos. Don't do it! It’s the only one without a visible accent mark in the common forms.

Finally, don't forget the difference between fazer and haver. Sometimes learners get confused with other irregulars. Just keep fazer in its own little "short stem" box in your brain. Even native speakers mess up the spelling of farão sometimes. They might write faram by mistake. Don't be that person!

How does farei compare to vou fazer? It’s all about the "vibe." Vou fazer is the "jeans and t-shirt" of the future. It’s comfortable, common, and used 90% of the time. Farei is the "suit." It’s certain, formal, and structured.

Then there is the conditional: faria (I would do). These two are cousins. They both use the same shortened stem far-. The only difference is the ending. If you want to say "I will do," use farei. If you want to say "I would do (if I could)," use faria.

Lastly, compare it to the future subjunctive: se eu fizer. Notice the stem there is fiz-. That is for uncertainty and "if" clauses that haven't happened yet. The future indicative (farei) is for things you are sure about. It’s a subtle dance, but you’ll learn the steps!