12.7 The future tense-2

The future tense and the present tense

In practice, the future tense is used much less frequently in German than it is in English. As we have seen in previous chapters, the present tense is often used indicate a future action, especially when an adverb already shows that the event takes place in the future:

 

Wir kommen morgen.

(We will be coming tomorrow.)

Übermorgen fährt er nach Hause.

(He'll be going home the day after tomorrow.)

Ich bin gleich fertig.

(I'll be ready in a moment.)

Ich gehe in die Küche und mache Kaffee.

(I'll just go into the kitchen and make some coffee.)

Heute Abend schreibe ich den Brief.

(I'll write the letter this evening.)

The future tense is mainly used to refer to the future if the present tense could be misunderstood.

 

Ich werde keine Antwort bekommen.

("I won't get an answer". The present tense might imply that you "aren't getting an answer".)

Kai wird wieder bei der Post arbeiten.

("Kai will be working for the post office". Using the present tense would imply that Kai "is working for the post office again".)

The future tense can also indicate probability:

 

Ich bekomme keine Antwort. Sie wird wohl nicht da sein.

(I'm not getting a reply. She's probably not in.)