Future II & Assumptions with werden
The Futur II (Future Perfect) allows you to talk about actions that will have been completed by a future point in time — and more importantly for everyday speech, to express assumptions and probability about what has probably already happened. Both uses share the same grammatical structure.
While native speakers rarely use Futur II to describe strictly future events (they prefer the present perfect with context clues), the assumption use is extremely common. Mastering it will help you understand real German conversations and sound far more natural.
What is Futur II and When Do You Use It?
Futur II expresses two related ideas:
1. Completed future action — something that will be finished by a specific future point:
Bis Freitag werde ich den Bericht geschrieben haben. — By Friday I will have written the report.
2. Assumption about the past — something that has probably already happened:
Er wird schon gegessen haben. — He has probably already eaten.
Adverbs like schon (already), wohl (probably), and wahrscheinlich (probably) often appear with Futur II and usually signal the assumption reading. Deadline phrases like bis morgen point to the completed future reading.
Forming the Futur II
Structure: werden (conjugated, position 2) + Partizip II + haben or sein (infinitive, end of clause)
The choice of haben vs. sein follows the same rules as in the Perfekt tense.
| Subject | werden | With haben (e.g. kaufen) | With sein (e.g. gehen) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | werde | gekauft haben | gegangen sein |
| du | wirst | gekauft haben | gegangen sein |
| er/sie/es | wird | gekauft haben | gegangen sein |
| wir | werden | gekauft haben | gegangen sein |
| ihr | werdet | gekauft haben | gegangen sein |
| sie/Sie | werden | gekauft haben | gegangen sein |
Word order rule: The Partizip II always comes directly before haben/sein at the end. Objects and other elements go in the middle field, between werden and the Partizip II.
✓ Er wird das Buch gelesen haben. ✗ Er wird gelesen das Buch haben.
Assumptions with werden: Present and Past
Germans frequently use werden to express probability — that something is most likely the case. Depending on the tense form, you can make assumptions about the present or the past.
Present assumption (Futur I: werden + infinitive):
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Er wird müde sein. | He is probably tired. |
| Sie wird zu Hause sein. | She is probably at home. |
| Das wird stimmen. | That is probably right. |
Past assumption (Futur II: werden + Partizip II + haben/sein):
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Er wird das vergessen haben. | He probably forgot that. |
| Sie wird schon angekommen sein. | She has probably already arrived. |
| Das wird ein Fehler gewesen sein. | That was probably a mistake. |
Key insight: When a German says Er wird krank sein, they often do not mean "He will be sick" — they mean "He is probably sick." The future form doubles as a probability marker!
Signal Words and Time Markers
These adverbs and phrases frequently appear with Futur II and help you identify the intended meaning:
| Word / Phrase | Meaning | Reading it signals |
|---|---|---|
| schon | already | past assumption |
| wohl | probably | assumption (any) |
| wahrscheinlich | probably | assumption (any) |
| sicher | surely | assumption (any) |
| bis + time | by (deadline) | completed future action |
Sie wird das wohl schon gewusst haben. — She probably already knew that. (wohl + schon = strong past assumption)
Bis Montag werden wir fertig sein. — By Monday we will be done. (bis Montag = completed future)
📖 Examples
Er wird die Prüfung bestanden haben.
He will have passed the exam. / He probably passed the exam.
Bis morgen werden wir alles erledigt haben.
By tomorrow we will have taken care of everything.
Sie wird müde sein — sie hat heute viel gearbeitet.
She is probably tired — she worked a lot today.
Das wird ihm nicht gefallen haben.
He probably didn't like that.
Du wirst das Buch schon gelesen haben.
You have probably already read the book.
Es wird geregnet haben — der Boden ist nass.
It must have rained — the ground is wet.
Sie werden schon nach Hause gegangen sein.
They have probably already gone home.
Bis Freitag werde ich den Bericht fertig geschrieben haben.
By Friday I will have finished writing the report.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Er wird gegessen die Pizza haben.Er wird die Pizza gegessen haben.
In Futur II, objects go before the Partizip II, not after it. The Partizip II and haben/sein form a fixed block at the end: [subject] + wird + [object/other elements] + [Partizip II] + [haben/sein].
Sie wird schon angekommen haben.Sie wird schon angekommen sein.
'ankommen' is a directed-movement verb, so it takes 'sein' as its auxiliary — the same rule as in the Perfekt. English has no equivalent distinction, making this a very common slip for English speakers.
Er wird die Hausaufgaben gemacht.Er wird die Hausaufgaben gemacht haben.
Futur II requires both the Partizip II and haben/sein at the end of the clause. Omitting 'haben' leaves the sentence grammatically incomplete — a participle alone cannot close a clause opened by a conjugated 'werden'.
Ich werde zu viel essen. (meaning: I probably ate too much)Ich werde zu viel gegessen haben.
To express an assumption about a completed past action, use Futur II (werden + Partizip II + haben/sein). Futur I (werden + infinitive) only covers present or future probability, not past events.
✏️ Exercises
Test your understanding. Click an option or type your answer, then check.
Which sentence correctly forms the Futur II of 'das Buch lesen'?
What does 'Sie wird schon nach Hause gegangen sein' most likely mean?
Which sentence uses Futur II to express a completed future action (not an assumption)?
Which Futur II form of 'kommen' is correct?
What is the most natural interpretation of 'Das wird teuer gewesen sein'?
Which sentence expresses an assumption about a past event?
Er wird das Buch ___ haben. (lesen)
Sie ___ schon nach Hause gegangen sein. (werden)
Bis morgen werden wir alles ___ haben. (erledigen)
Das Konzert wird schon ___ haben. (beginnen)