German Grammar: Mastering the Future Perfect Tense in German:  (German Future 2)

Introduction to German Future Perfect Tense (Futur II)

The Future Perfect tense (Futur II) in German allows you to express actions that will be completed by a specific time in the future. While it’s rarely used in daily conversation, mastering it is essential for formal writing and deeper comprehension. This guide provides simple explanations, examples, and a quiz to help you confidently use Futur II in your German learning journey.

What is the Future 2 in German?

The Future Perfect tense, or Futur II, is used to talk about something that will be finished at a specific future time. Although it’s rarely spoken in everyday German, it’s important for formal writing. Understanding Futur II helps you show that an action will be completed in the future, which is useful in advanced writing and speaking

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:

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

The Word order follows a specific pattern:

1. The conjugated form of werden is placed at the second position.
2. The participle is at the 2nd last position.
3. At the end of the sentence stands the infinitive of sein or haben.

Example: 

• Der Lehrer wird (2nd position) die Frage beantwortet (2nd last position) haben (last position). 

If you like to get more information about this topic in general, you can check out this article: here. 

Subordinate clause

You use the following sentence structure: 

1. Partizip 2 at the 3rd last place
2. Sein or haben at the 2nd last position 
3. Form of werden at the end

Here you can see an example with a conditional clause:

• Wenn das Wetter nächste Woche in 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

It is possible to form a Passive, even tho it is not very common and very difficult.

• 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 orderis 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.