72.2 Referring to the immediate future
72.2.1 Present for future reference
To refer to the immediate future in relation to the present, especially to something
which has been pre-arranged, we normally use the present instead of the future. This
is particularly common with verbs of movement such as ir‘to go’, salir‘to leave’,
Ilegar‘to arrive’, etc. Time phrases such as mañana‘tomorrow’, esta noche‘tonight’,
hoy‘today’, etc., will make it clear that the time reference is the future and not the
present. 17.1.2 (p. 73)
¿Qué hacen esta tarde?
What are you doing this afternoon?
Esta tarde vamos a la playa.
We’ll be going to the beach this afternoon.¿Cuándo salís?
When are you leaving?Salimos mañana a las seis.
We leave tomorrow at six.
¿Cuándo llegan?
When are they arriving?Llegan hoy por la noche.
They’ll be arriving tonight.Te veo luego.
I’ll see you later.
Esta noche habla el presidente.
The president will be speaking tonight.72.2.2 The future
In certain formal registers, for example in radio or TV news bulletins and newspapers,
the future is very common. It is also frequently found in informal written language,
for example notes and letters. 17.5.1 (p. 76)
Los reyes saldrán hoy para Mallorca.
The king and queen will leave for Mallorca today.
Saldremos de Madrid el lunes y llegaremos a Lima el martes.
We’ll leave Madrid on Monday and we’ll arrive in Lima on Tuesday.72.2.3 Imperfect for future reference
When reference is to the immediate future or some pre-arranged plan in relation to
some moment in the past, we use the imperfect.Referring to the immediate future 72.2