{"id":698,"date":"2026-09-30T22:00:43","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T01:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lexema.com.br\/?p=698"},"modified":"2026-09-30T22:06:08","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T01:06:08","slug":"talking-about-the-future-in-brazilian-portuguese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lexema.com.br\/index.php\/2026\/09\/30\/talking-about-the-future-in-brazilian-portuguese\/","title":{"rendered":"Talking About the Future in Brazilian Portuguese"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Talking about the future may seem simple: all we have to do is say what is going to happen. However, when we take a closer look at Brazilian Portuguese, we realize that there are several ways of expressing this idea. We can say \u201ceu viajarei amanh\u00e3\u201d<\/strong> (\u201cI will travel tomorrow\u201d), \u201ceu vou viajar amanh\u00e3\u201d<\/strong> (\u201cI am going to travel tomorrow\u201d), or, in certain contexts, \u201ceu vou estar viajando amanh\u00e3\u201d<\/strong> (\u201cI will be traveling tomorrow\u201d). Although all three constructions may refer to a future action, they do not have exactly the same structure or produce exactly the same effects of meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowing these different forms is important not only for learning grammar but also for understanding how the language actually works in Brazilians\u2019 everyday lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Simple Future<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The so-called futuro do presente do indicativo<\/strong> (future indicative), often simply referred to as the simple future<\/strong>, is a verb form traditionally used to indicate events that will occur after the moment of speaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider the following examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Eu viajarei<\/strong> amanh\u00e3. \u2014 I will travel<\/strong> tomorrow.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • N\u00f3s estudaremos<\/strong> para a prova. \u2014 We will study<\/strong> for the exam.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Ela chegar\u00e1<\/strong> \u00e0s oito horas. \u2014 She will arrive<\/strong> at eight o\u2019clock.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Eles comprar\u00e3o<\/strong> uma casa. \u2014 They will buy<\/strong> a house.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Voc\u00ea entender\u00e1<\/strong> melhor o assunto depois. \u2014 You will understand<\/strong> the subject better later.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    The forms viajarei, estudaremos, chegar\u00e1, comprar\u00e3o,<\/em> and entender\u00e1<\/em> are verbs conjugated in the future indicative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In formal written language, this construction is still widely used, especially in academic, journalistic, administrative, and literary texts. It also appears in situations in which a speaker or writer wishes to give an assertion a more formal tone:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    \u201cA comiss\u00e3o analisar\u00e1 os documentos apresentados.\u201d
    \u201cThe committee will review the documents submitted.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    However, an important characteristic of contemporary Brazilian Portuguese is that the simple future, although completely correct, is not the most frequent form in everyday conversation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In daily life, it is very common for a Brazilian to say:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    \u201cEu vou viajar amanh\u00e3.\u201d
    \u201cI am going to travel tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    instead of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    \u201cEu viajarei amanh\u00e3.\u201d
    \u201cI will travel tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    This brings us to the second way of expressing the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Immediate Future: \u201cir + infinitive\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    One of the most common constructions in Brazilian Portuguese for expressing future events is the combination of the verb ir<\/strong> (\u201cto go\u201d), conjugated in the present tense, with another verb in the infinitive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Eu vou viajar<\/strong> amanh\u00e3. \u2014 I am going to travel<\/strong> tomorrow.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Ela vai estudar<\/strong> \u00e0 noite. \u2014 She is going to study<\/strong> at night.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • N\u00f3s vamos sair<\/strong> depois do almo\u00e7o. \u2014 We are going to leave<\/strong> after lunch.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Eles v\u00e3o comprar<\/strong> um carro novo. \u2014 They are going to buy<\/strong> a new car.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Voc\u00ea vai gostar<\/strong> do filme. \u2014 You are going to like<\/strong> the movie.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      This structure is often called the immediate future<\/strong>, periphrastic future<\/strong>, or simply the \u201cir + infinitive\u201d construction<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      It is important to understand that the verb ir<\/em> in this case does not necessarily retain its original meaning of physical movement. In:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n

      \u201cEu vou estudar.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

      the verb vou<\/em> does not mean that the person is physically going somewhere in order to study. Instead, it functions as an auxiliary in the construction of a future meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      This form is extremely productive in spoken Brazilian Portuguese. In many situations, it actually sounds more natural than the simple future:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n

      \u201cAmanh\u00e3 vou trabalhar cedo.\u201d
      \u201cTomorrow I\u2019m going to work early.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

      may sound more spontaneous than:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n

      \u201cAmanh\u00e3 trabalharei cedo.\u201d
      \u201cTomorrow I will work early.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

      This does not mean that one form is \u201ccorrect\u201d and the other is \u201cincorrect.\u201d Both are grammatical. What changes, among other things, is the linguistic register<\/strong>, the communicative situation, and the effect of meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      What about the so-called \u201cGerundism\u201d?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Here we encounter a phenomenon that often generates considerable discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      In Brazilian Portuguese, the term gerundismo<\/strong> is popularly used to refer to what is perceived as excessive use of constructions involving auxiliary verbs, the verb estar<\/em> (\u201cto be\u201d), and another verb in the gerund, particularly when this structure is used to express a future action without a clear semantic need for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      A well-known example is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n

      \u201cEu vou estar verificando o seu cadastro.\u201d
      \u201cI will be checking your registration.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

      In many contexts, this sentence could simply be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n

      \u201cEu vou verificar o seu cadastro.\u201d
      \u201cI will check your registration.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

      or:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n

      \u201cVerificarei o seu cadastro.\u201d
      \u201cI will check your registration.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

      The criticism of gerundismo<\/em>, therefore, does not mean that every use of the gerund is incorrect<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The gerund is a perfectly legitimate verb form in Portuguese. It can indicate an action in progress:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n

      \u201cJo\u00e3o est\u00e1 estudando.\u201d
      \u201cJo\u00e3o is studying.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

      In this case, est\u00e1 estudando<\/em> presents an action that is currently in progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The gerund can also be used to establish relationships between actions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n

      \u201cEle saiu correndo.\u201d
      \u201cHe left running.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

      \n

      \u201cEla entrou sorrindo.\u201d
      \u201cShe came in smiling.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

      The problem identified by critics of gerundismo<\/em> lies mainly in certain bureaucratic or unnecessarily elongated constructions in which several auxiliary verbs are accumulated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Three Ways of Talking About the Future<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      The three constructions can be summarized as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Construction<\/strong><\/th>Example<\/strong><\/th>Characteristic<\/strong><\/th><\/tr>
      Simple future<\/strong><\/td>\u201cEu viajarei amanh\u00e3.\u201d<\/td>A synthetic, traditional form commonly used in formal writing<\/td><\/tr>
      Immediate\/periphrastic future<\/strong><\/td>\u201cEu vou viajar amanh\u00e3.\u201d<\/td>Very common in Brazilian speech<\/td><\/tr>
      Construction with the gerund<\/strong><\/td>\u201cEu vou estar viajando amanh\u00e3.\u201d<\/td>May indicate a future action in progress; in certain contexts, it may be perceived as gerundismo<\/em> or an undesirable speech habit<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      The choice among these forms depends on the context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      In a conversation among friends, it is perfectly natural to say:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n

      \u201cAmanh\u00e3 eu vou viajar.\u201d
      \u201cTomorrow I\u2019m going to travel.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

      In a formal text, one might find:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n

      \u201cAmanh\u00e3 viajarei para Bras\u00edlia.\u201d
      \u201cTomorrow I will travel to Bras\u00edlia.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

      In a context emphasizing an action that will be in progress at a specific moment in the future, one may say:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n

      \u201cAmanh\u00e3, \u00e0s dez horas, estarei viajando.\u201d
      \u201cTomorrow, at ten o\u2019clock, I will be traveling.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

      The three constructions, therefore, should not simply be treated as synonyms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Talking about the future may seem simple: all we have to do is say what is going to happen. However, when we take a closer look at Brazilian Portuguese, we realize that there are several ways of expressing this idea. We can say \u201ceu viajarei amanh\u00e3\u201d (\u201cI will travel tomorrow\u201d), \u201ceu vou viajar amanh\u00e3\u201d (\u201cI am going to travel tomorrow\u201d), or, in certain contexts, \u201ceu vou estar viajando amanh\u00e3\u201d (\u201cI will be traveling tomorrow\u201d). Although all three constructions may refer to a future action, they do not have exactly the same structure or produce exactly the same effects of meaning. Knowing these different forms is important not only for learning grammar but also for understanding how the language actually works in Brazilians\u2019 everyday lives. The Simple Future The so-called futuro do presente do indicativo (future indicative), often simply referred to as the simple future, is a verb form traditionally used to indicate events that will occur after the moment of speaking. Consider the following examples: The forms viajarei, estudaremos, chegar\u00e1, comprar\u00e3o, and entender\u00e1 are verbs conjugated in the future indicative. In formal written language, this construction is still widely used, especially in academic, journalistic, administrative, and literary texts. It also appears in situations in which a speaker or writer wishes to give an assertion a more formal tone: \u201cA comiss\u00e3o analisar\u00e1 os documentos apresentados.\u201d\u201cThe committee will review the documents submitted.\u201d However, an important characteristic of contemporary Brazilian Portuguese is that the simple future, although completely correct, is not the most frequent form in everyday conversation. In daily life, it is very common for a Brazilian to say: \u201cEu vou viajar amanh\u00e3.\u201d\u201cI am going to travel tomorrow.\u201d instead of: \u201cEu viajarei amanh\u00e3.\u201d\u201cI will travel tomorrow.\u201d This brings us to the second way of expressing the future. The Immediate Future: \u201cir + infinitive\u201d One of the most common constructions in Brazilian Portuguese for expressing future events is the combination of the verb ir (\u201cto go\u201d), conjugated in the present tense, with another verb in the infinitive. For example: This structure is often called the immediate future, periphrastic future, or simply the \u201cir + infinitive\u201d construction. It is important to understand that the verb ir in this case does not necessarily retain its original meaning of physical movement. In: \u201cEu vou estudar.\u201d the verb vou does not mean that the person is physically going somewhere in order to study. Instead, it functions as an auxiliary in the construction of a future meaning. This form is extremely productive in spoken Brazilian Portuguese. In many situations, it actually sounds more natural than the simple future: \u201cAmanh\u00e3 vou trabalhar cedo.\u201d\u201cTomorrow I\u2019m going to work early.\u201d may sound more spontaneous than: \u201cAmanh\u00e3 trabalharei cedo.\u201d\u201cTomorrow I will work early.\u201d This does not mean that one form is \u201ccorrect\u201d and the other is \u201cincorrect.\u201d Both are grammatical. What changes, among other things, is the linguistic register, the communicative situation, and the effect of meaning. What about the so-called \u201cGerundism\u201d? Here we encounter a phenomenon that often generates considerable discussion. In Brazilian Portuguese, the term gerundismo is popularly used to refer to what is perceived as excessive use of constructions involving auxiliary verbs, the verb estar (\u201cto be\u201d), and another verb in the gerund, particularly when this structure is used to express a future action without a clear semantic need for it. A well-known example is: \u201cEu vou estar verificando o seu cadastro.\u201d\u201cI will be checking your registration.\u201d In many contexts, this sentence could simply be: \u201cEu vou verificar o seu cadastro.\u201d\u201cI will check your registration.\u201d or: \u201cVerificarei o seu cadastro.\u201d\u201cI will check your registration.\u201d The criticism of gerundismo, therefore, does not mean that every use of the gerund is incorrect. The gerund is a perfectly legitimate verb form in Portuguese. It can indicate an action in progress: \u201cJo\u00e3o est\u00e1 estudando.\u201d\u201cJo\u00e3o is studying.\u201d In this case, est\u00e1 estudando presents an action that is currently in progress. The gerund can also be used to establish relationships between actions: \u201cEle saiu correndo.\u201d\u201cHe left running.\u201d \u201cEla entrou sorrindo.\u201d\u201cShe came in smiling.\u201d The problem identified by critics of gerundismo lies mainly in certain bureaucratic or unnecessarily elongated constructions in which several auxiliary verbs are accumulated. Three Ways of Talking About the Future The three constructions can be summarized as follows: Construction Example Characteristic Simple future \u201cEu viajarei amanh\u00e3.\u201d A synthetic, traditional form commonly used in formal writing Immediate\/periphrastic future \u201cEu vou viajar amanh\u00e3.\u201d Very common in Brazilian speech Construction with the gerund \u201cEu vou estar viajando amanh\u00e3.\u201d May indicate a future action in progress; in certain contexts, it may be perceived as gerundismo or an undesirable speech habit The choice among these forms depends on the context. In a conversation among friends, it is perfectly natural to say: \u201cAmanh\u00e3 eu vou viajar.\u201d\u201cTomorrow I\u2019m going to travel.\u201d In a formal text, one might find: \u201cAmanh\u00e3 viajarei para Bras\u00edlia.\u201d\u201cTomorrow I will travel to Bras\u00edlia.\u201d In a context emphasizing an action that will be in progress at a specific moment in the future, one may say: \u201cAmanh\u00e3, \u00e0s dez horas, estarei viajando.\u201d\u201cTomorrow, at ten o\u2019clock, I will be traveling.\u201d The three constructions, therefore, should not simply be treated as synonyms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":701,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,12],"tags":[9,67,91,3,92,15],"class_list":["post-698","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gramatica","category-portuguese-for-foreigners","tag-brazilian-portuguese","tag-futuro","tag-gerundismo","tag-gramatica","tag-grammar","tag-para-estrangeiros"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t