Introduction to German Future Perfect Tense (Futur II)
The Future Perfect tense (Futur II) is considered one of the less commonly used tenses in German and holds relatively lower importance in everyday communication. However, understanding it is still beneficial, especially for formal writing, academic contexts, or achieving a more complete grasp of German grammar. While not a priority for beginners, learning Futur II can deepen your language proficiency and prepare you for more advanced usage scenarios.
What is the Future Perfect (Futur II) in German?
The Future Perfect tense (Futur II) in German is used to express actions that will have been completed by a specific point in the future. While it is rarely used in casual conversations, it plays a significant role in formal writing and advanced communication. Mastering Futur II enables you to convey a sense of completion for future actions, demonstrating precision and sophistication in both written and spoken German.
Using the Future Perfect Tense with Examples
Examples are essential to understanding how the future perfect tense is used. Below are several examples to demonstrate its application:
| German | English |
| Er wird das Auto repariert haben. | He will have repaired the car. |
| Er wird die Aufgabe gemacht haben. | He will have done the task. |
| Das Mädchen wird die Klausur geschrieben haben. | The girl will have written the exam. |
| Morgen wird der Student viele Runden gelaufen sein. | Tomorrow the student will have run many laps. |
| Die Familie wird sich im nächsten Jahr ein Haus gekauft haben. | The family will have bought a house next year |
Formation of the Future Perfect Tense in German
To form the Futur Perfekt in German, you need to conjugate werden + past participle at the 2nd last position and at the end of the sentence stands the infinitive of “haben” or “sein” depending on the main verb.
Examples:
- Der Junge wird die Aufgabe gemacht haben. The boy will have done the task.
- Die Studenten werden die Prüfung absolviert haben. The students will have passed the exam.
How to conjugate werden in German language
The helping verb werden is needed in the present tense to form the Futur 2.
- ich werde = I will
- du wirst =
- er, sie, es wird
- wir werden
- ihr werdet
- sie, Sie werden
When to use the auxiliary verb Haben and Sein
“Haben” and “sein” are crucial in forming this tense. The form of the auxiliary verb is in an infinitive. The choice between these verbs depends on the main verb’s nature. Generally, “haben” is used with transitive and reflexive verbs, while “sein” is used with verbs that imply locomotion or change. In a main sentence they are placed at the end of the clause
Examples:
- Am Dienstag wird Tony umgezogen sein. Tony will have moved on Tuesday.
- Die Freunde werden bis 20 Uhr bei REWE eingekauft haben. Die Freunde werden bis 20 Uhr bei REWE eingekauft haben.
The Role of Past Participles
Past participles are integral in forming the future perfect tense. They are derived from the main verb and usually end with -t or -et and add a “ge” to the word stem.
Irregular verbs
Irregular verbs refer to the same rules as for the German perfect participle. The rules of weak, strong and mixed verbs also apply here. You can read more about the Perfekt in detail: here.
Example:
- Der Umzug in ein neues Haus wird in der Zukunft stattgefunden haben. The move to a new house will have taken place in the future
Word Order in Future Perfect Sentences (Futur II)
Learning German Future 2 Tense can be easy and enjoyable with clear examples and structured practice.
The word order in Future Perfect sentences follows a specific structure, ensuring clarity and grammatical correctness. Here’s a breakdown for both main clauses and subordinate clauses, along with examples to illustrate usage.
Main Clause Word Order
- The conjugated form of werden is placed in the second position of the sentence.
- The past participle (Partizip II) appears in the second-to-last position.
- The infinitive form of sein or haben is positioned at the very end of the sentence.
Example:
Der Lehrer wird (2nd position) die Frage beantwortet (2nd last position) haben (last position).
(The teacher will have answered the question.)
If you like to get more information about the sentence structure in German, you can check out this article: here.
Subordinate Clause Word Order
In subordinate clauses, the structure shifts slightly:
- The Partizip II is placed in the third-to-last position.
- The infinitive form of sein or haben is positioned in the second-to-last position.
- The conjugated form of werden is placed at the very end.
Example:
Wenn das Wetter nächste Woche gut gewesen sein wird, werden wir viel ins Schwimmbad gefahren sein.
(If the weather has been good next week, we will have gone to the swimming pool a lot.)
Passive Voice in Future Perfect
Forming the Passive Voice in Futur II is grammatically possible but rarely used in everyday German due to its complexity. It involves adding the auxiliary worden in the past participle form.
Example:
Der Kühlschrank wird von dem Mann gereinigt worden sein.
(The fridge will have been cleaned by the man.)
Differences Between the Future and Other German Tenses
Understanding how the Future Perfect compares to other German tenses is essential for mastering the language.
Past tenses like the Present Perfect (Perfekt), Simple Past (Präteritum), and Past Perfect (Plusquamperfekt) are used to describe actions or events that have already happened. These tenses all deal with events in the past, but they differ in their nuance and usage.
The Futur I tense is used to describe actions or events that will happen in the future. It is the most common way to express future intentions or plans in everyday speech.
On the other hand, the Futur II tense is used less frequently in conversation but plays an important role in formal writing and more complex expressions.
Want to learn more about how these tenses differ and when to use them? Explore our detailed guide on German tenses: here.
Free Grammar Quiz: Future 2 Vs Future 1
Curious about how well you know Future 1 and Future 2 in German? Take this free quiz to find out: here.
Key Points to Remember
- The German Future Perfect tense (Futur II) is used to describe actions expected to be completed in the future.
- It requires the correct combination of the auxiliary verbs “haben” or “sein” and a past participle.
- Mastering the word order is essential for forming grammatically correct sentences in Futur II.
- Comparing the Future Perfect tense with English tenses can help you better understand its usage.
- Regular practice and exercises will boost your proficiency and confidence in using Futur II in both writing and speaking.
FAQ:
What is the Past Future tense?
- The Futur 2 is a grammatical term used to describe a future occurrence that will have been completed at some point in time. It indicates actions or events that are expected or planned to be finished before a specific time in the future. The construction of it involves the usage of “will have” followed by the participle 2 of the verb.
How to form the Future Perfect?
- You conjugate werden and you add the Partizip 2 at the 2nd last position and the infinitive of haben or sein at the end.
How important is the Futur 2 compared to other German Tenses?
- It is the least important one, and mostly used in written language.
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