Usage and functions
The future tense is used less frequently in German than in English. If the
context makes the reference to the future clear the present tense is
normally used instead. However, the future tense still occurs in the
following instances:- When the reference to the future is not clear:
Tim wird wieder in Köln wohnen.
Tim will be living in Cologne again.
The alternative in the present tense Tim wohnt wieder in Kölnwould
be understood as ‘Thomas is now living again in Cologne’. - When stating intentions or to emphasise a point:
Ich werde nie wieder den Bus nehmen!
Never again will I take the bus!
Ich werde die Miete morgen bezahlen.
I will pay the rent tomorrow. - To make predictions and to convey the meaning of probability or
assumption, often in conjunction with bestimmt‘surely’,wahrscheinlich
‘probably’,möglicherweise‘possibly’,vielleicht‘maybe’,wohl‘probably’:
Morgen wird es regnen.
It’s going to rain tomorrow.
Es wird bestimmt nicht lange dauern.
Surely it won’t take long.
Das wird wahrscheinlich funktionieren.
That will probably work.
Ich werde vielleicht kommen.
Maybe I will come.
Using the present tense to refer to the future
In German, the present tense – rather than the future tense – is normally
used to refer to the future, especially when this is clearly indicated by an
expression of time:Ich komme gleichwieder.
I’ll be right back.Unit 14: The future tense 103