12.7 Modal verbs and the future tense

Modal verbs and the future tense

Take care to distinguish between "werden" and "wollen" when expressing the future tense - English "will" is not the same as German "will"! wheras the auxiliary verb "werden" should be used to translate a future action, "wollen" should only be used to translate what a person "plans" or "intends" to do.

 

Wir werden jetzt nach Italien fahren.

(We are going to go to Italy now.)

Wir wollen jetzt nach Italien fahren.

(We intend to go to Italy now.)

Wir möchten jetzt nach Italien fahren.

(We would like to go to Italy now.)

In first person plural questions "wollen" has the sense of English "Shall we...?":

 

Wollen wir eine Tasse Kaffee trinken?

(Shall we have a cup of coffee?)

Was wollen wir heute machen?

(What shall we do today?)

Distinguishing between different forms of "werden"

As we have seen in the previous chapter, the auxiliary verb "werden" can be used to indicate a number of different tenses and moods in German. You should take care to distinguish between the future (= werden + Infinitive) and the passive (werden + Past Participle).

 

Wird Lutz die Wohnung sanieren?

(Will Lutz renovate the flat?)

Die Wohnung wird schon saniert!

(The flat is already being renovated.)

Note too that when "werden" is used with an adjective it means "to become":

 

Wir werden ausziehen und unsere Wohnung wird bald frei.

(We will move out and our flat will soon become free.)