If you are studying the Future Perfect Tense, then chances are you have already studied the Present Perfect Tense. If not, you might want to consider having a look at the Present Perfect Tense first, as you’ll learn more about when to use it and how to avoid mixing up the verb Haber (to have done something) and Tener (to have possession of something).
So, getting back to the Future Perfect Tense… this is great tense to learn because if you already know the Simple Future Tense (I will talk/work/wash etc) and the Present Perfect (I have talked/worked/washed etc) you are pretty much there already!
A look at how to form the Future Perfect Tense in more detail:
We use the Future Prefect Tense to talk about what we will have done.
For example: I will have finished by 2 o’clock.
So basically we conjugate HABER in the Simple Future (I will have…) and then add the past participle (finished/worked/written etc), in the same way as we would for the Present Perfect Tense.
To form the Future Perfect Tense:
HABER in the Future formation | Past Participle |
(Yo) Habré (Tú) Habrás (Él/ella/usted) Habrá (Nosotros/as) Habremos (Vosotros/as) Habréis (Ellos/ellas/ustedes) Habrán | hablado / comido / consumido |
I.e.
- Habré consumido el pastel entero. (I will have consumed the whole cake.)
- Habrá comido en casa (He will have eaten at home).
- Ya habrán hablado con el médico. (They will have spoken with the doctor already.)
It really is that simple!
Have a go at this activity to get used to the Future Perfect Tense with regular past participles (i.e. worked/talked/eaten):
What about those pesky irregular rebels?
The good thing about learning the Future Perfect Tense (I will have eaten etc) after the Present Perfect Tense (I have eaten etc) is that the irregular past participles are exactly the same.
Let’s take a look at them in action:
English Infinitive | Spanish Infinitive | Spanish Past Participle | Example |
To break | romper | roto | Habré roto el récord mundial.- I will have broken the world record. |
To say/tell | decir | dicho | ¿Le habrás dicho la cantidad correcta?- Will you have told her the correct amount? |
To see | ver | visto | Ella habrá visto todo.- She will have seen everything. |
To open | abrir | abierto | Habremos abierto una investigación para entonces.- We will have opened an investigation by then. |
To do/make | hacer | hecho | ¿Habréis hecho el trabajo para el fin de semana?- Will you all have done the work by the weekend? |
To die | morir | muerto | Habrán muerto las hojas.- The leaves will have died. |
To write | escribir | escrito | Habré escrito el chiste perfecto.- I will have written the perfect joke. |
To put | poner | puesto | ¿Habrás puesto las llaves en el cajón?- Will you have put the keys in the draw? |
To cover | cubrir | cubierto | Él habrá cubierto el suelo con una manta.- He will have covered the floor with a sheet. |
To return | volver | vuelto | Habremos vuelto demasiado tarde.- We will have returned too late. |
To fry | freír | frito | Habréis frito bien los huevos- You will all have fried the eggs properly. |
To satisfy | satisfacer | satisfecho | ¿Habrán satisfecho al inspector?- Will they have satisfied the inspector? |
Here’s an activity to help you get used to these irregular past participles with the Simple Future Tense:
Ta dah!
That’s it! Using your prior knowledge of the Simple Future (I will eat etc) and the Present Perfect (I have eaten etc) you can bring them together to learn the Future Perfect Tense (I will have eaten etc) pretty quickly.
If you are up for more, why not take a look at one of the other Perfect tenses? There are 4 in total, so if you are feeling confident with the Present Perfect Tense and now the Future Perfect tense, try out one of the others below:
- I had finished. (Past perfect/AKA pluperfect)- Find out more here.
- I would have finished. (Conditional Perfect)- Find out more here.
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