Bite 18: Talking About Future Plans in German – Simple Structures

German in 100 bites by Dr. Mitar Pitzek

Bite 18:
Talking About Future Plans in German - Simple Structures
(A1 Level)

Innes Blog - Bite 18: Talking About Future Plans in German - Simple Structures

Before We Dive In

Imagine you’re in Vienna, planning your day. You want to tell your friends or colleagues what you’re going to do. Maybe you’ll meet someone for coffee, visit a museum after work, or plan to spend the afternoon in Prater Park. You want to share these plans in German, but how do you express them correctly? Don’t worry! There’s a simple way to talk about the future that’s perfect for beginners: the future tense (Futur).

Simple and Easy for Beginners:

In this article, you’ll learn how to talk about your future plans in German using simple, easy-to-understand language-without getting caught up in complicated grammar rules. The key is speaking by doing, you’ll get better at it. The more you practice, the easier it will become. The future tense in German isn’t hard, and you’ll see that with a little practice, you’ll get a feel for the language quickly.

1. Two Easy Ways to Talk About the Future

You don’t always need complicated tenses to talk about the future. Here are two beginner-friendly ways:

Option 1: Use the Present Tense with a Time Expression Just like in English (“Tomorrow I leave for Vienna”), German often uses the present tense + a future time word.

Morgen gehe ich ins Kino.
(Tomorrow I am going to the cinema.)
Nächste Woche besuche ich meine Freunde.
(Next week I visit my friends.)

Option 2: Use “werden” + Infinitive (Futur I) If you want to sound a bit more formal or clear, you can use the verb werden:

Ich werde morgen ins Kino gehen.
(I will go to the cinema tomorrow.)
Wir werden im Sommer nach Wien fahren.
(We will travel to Vienna in the summer.)

Tip: For everyday conversations, the first option (present tense + time expression) is very common and sounds natural!

Notice: When you start a sentence with a time expression, remember inversion – the verb stays in second position!

Example:

Am Abend werde ich ins Kino gehen.
(In the evening, I will go to the cinema.)

2. Key Phrases for Making Plans

German	English
Am Abend	in the evening
In der Früh	in the morning
Zu Mittag	at midday / lunchtime
Morgen	Tomorrow (e.g. morgen Abend / tomorrow evening)
Übermorgen	the day after tomorrow
Nächste Woche	next week
Nächsten Monat	next month
Im Sommer / Im Winter	in summer / in winter
Bald	soon
Später	later
Ich möchte…	I would like to…
Ich werde…	I will…

3. Useful Verbs for Future Plans

German Verb	English
reisen	to travel
arbeiten	to work
lernen	to study / learn
feiern	to celebrate
essen gehen	to go out for a meal
besuchen	to visit
spazieren gehen	to go for a walk
entspannen	to relax

4. Making Simple Future Sentences

Here’s how you can build your own sentences:

Step 1: Pick a time expression
Step 2: Use werden
Step 3: Add your action (verb)

Examples:

In der Früh werde ich joggen.
(I will go jogging in the morning.)
Zu Mittag werde ich mit meinen Freunden essen.
(I will have lunch with my friends at midday.)
Am Abend werde ich ein Buch lesen.
(I will read a book in the evening.)
Morgen werde ich einkaufen gehen.
(Tomorrow I will go shopping.)

5. Practice Time – Deine Zukunftspläne

Try answering these questions in German:

Examples:

Was machst du morgen? (What are you doing tomorrow?)
Was wirst du am Wochenende machen? (What will you do on the weekend?)
Hast du Pläne für den Sommer? (Do you have plans for the summer?)

Try to write 3–5 short sentences about your plans!

Vienna Tip: Plan Your City Adventures

Vienna offers endless opportunities for future fun:

Plan a visit to Schönbrunn Palace.
Book a German course at INNES Institute 😉.
Enjoy a picnic at Stadtpark or explore Viennese coffee houses.

You can also make simple German-speaking goals:

“Nächste Woche werde ich ein Museum besuchen und auf Deutsch bestellen!”
(Next week I will visit a museum and order in German!)

Summary

Talking about your plans is easier than you think:

Use the present tense with a time word for simple future talk.
Or use “werden” + infinitive for more formal situations.
Practice with real upcoming events to make learning personal!

Pro Tip from Dr. Mitar Pitzek

“Don’t overthink tenses!“
At A1 level, using the present tense with a time expression is perfectly fine to talk about the future. It’s more important to speak than to be perfect!

Example: