Add endings to the whole infinitive

Unusually, the simple (inflectional) future does not chop the verb. You keep the whole infinitive and add one set of endings — the same for -ar, -er and -ir verbs:

Accents everywhere but "we". Every form carries an accent except nosotros (hablaremos). Compare with ir a + infinitive from cluster 4 (voy a hablar = "I'm going to speak") — also a future, but more casual/near-term. CCEA: the simple future is recognise-only at Foundation, produced at Higher. Higher

Where do the endings go?

Same trick, new endings

The conditional means "would". It uses the very same "add-to-the-whole-infinitive" trick — just a different set of endings, again shared across -ar / -er / -ir:

Every form has an accented í. The conditional is your go-to for hypotheticals and politeness: Me gustaría… ("I would like…"), ¿Podrías…? ("Could you…?"). Notice yo and él/ella are identical (hablaría) — context tells you which. CCEA: the general conditional is Higher; at Foundation you only produce the set phrase me gustaría. Higher

How much CCEA needs

CCEA treats these two tenses differently by tier. Here is exactly what each tier expects:

CCEA tier note — the simple future: at Foundation you only need to RECOGNISE the future in listening and reading; you produce it at Higher. Higher

The conditional at Foundation: the only conditional you produce at Foundation is the set phrase me gustaría (+ infinitive) — "I would like to…". The general conditional of other verbs is Higher. Higher

Your turn — the future

Your turn — an -ER verb, future

Pick the right form

Choose the correct future or conditional form for each prompt.

Your turn — the conditional

Same stem for BOTH tenses

A handful of common verbs won't use the plain infinitive — they have a special irregular stem. The magic: it's the same stem for the future and the conditional. Learn the stem once, then just add the endings.

haber is special: its él-form gives habrá = "there will be" and habría = "there would be" — the future/conditional twins of hay.

Higher stems follow exactly the same rule — just more verbs to know:

Spot the irregular stem

Your turn — an irregular stem

Match the infinitive to its future "yo"

Tap an infinitive on the left, then tap its future "I" form on the right. Watch the irregular stems!

Predictions, plans & ambitions

The future tense is your engine for what will happen — plans, predictions, ambitions and dreams. Perfect for talking about careers, the environment and life goals:

• El año que viene estudiaré más. — Next year I will study more.
• Trabajaré como médico. — I will work as a doctor. (ambition/career)
• El planeta se calentará si no actuamos. — The planet will warm up if we don't act. (environment prediction)
• Habrá más coches eléctricos. — There will be more electric cars.

Higher aside — future of probability: Spanish can use the future to guess about the present. Estará en casa can mean "he's probably at home" (not "he will be"). Keep it in your back pocket for Higher reading. Higher

Wishes, hypotheticals & politeness

The conditional is for what would happen — dreams, hypotheticals, and being polite. It instantly lifts your writing above the present tense:

• Me gustaría viajar por el mundo. — I would like to travel the world. (dream)
• Sería genial tener mi propia empresa. — It would be great to have my own business.
• ¿Podrías ayudarme, por favor? — Could you help me, please? (politeness)
• Con más dinero, protegería el medio ambiente. — With more money, I would protect the environment.

Don't muddle the two: estudiaré = "I will study" (future); estudiaría = "I would study" (conditional). One letter of ending changes the whole meaning — mind the í.

"Would like…"

Pick the conditional

Future or conditional?

Sort each form: does it mean "will" (future) or "would" (conditional)?

What does it mean?

Your turn — irregular future

Your future & conditional toolkit

These two tenses unlock top-band writing on future plans and dreams. Press Finish to see your score.