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Using the simple future or the perfect future to express objection/disbelief to a statement said before

Written by qualified Spanish expert Inma Sánchez BA
Last updated: 2022-04-07
6 questions

You can express objection or disbelief with El Futuro Simple and El Futuro Perfecto in Spanish

In Spanish, El Futuro Simple and El Futuro Perfecto can be used to express an objection to something that has been said previously.

El Futuro Simple

  • If we use El Futuro Simple, we are referring to a present or future situation.

For example, if someone says while watching a football match:

Está claro que el Real Madrid va a ganar el partido.
It is obvious that Real Madrid is going to win the match.

Another person could say:

Ganará el partido pero no creo que gane la temporada.They may win the match but I don't think they'll win the season.

By using El Futuro Simple, the speaker is not denying what has just been said (that Real Madrid are winning the match), but there is an underlying notion that the speaker is making an objection or shows disbelief with the previous statement. In English this is normally expressed with a modal verb (may/might/may well/might well).

More examples:

-Julia come una barbaridad. -Comerá mucho pero nunca está gorda.-Julia eats loads. -She may eat a lot but she is never fat.

-Tus hijos son muy generosos contigo. -Serán generosos, pero nunca vienen a verme.-Your children are very generous with you. -They may be generous, but they never come to visit.

-¡Qué zapatos más caros te has comprado! -Serán caros pero son comodísimos.-You bought such an expensive pair of shoes! -They may be expensive but they are incredibly comfortable.

El Futuro Perfecto

  • If we use El Futuro Perfecto, we are referring to a past situation, with the same effect as explained before (objection/disbelief)

For example:

-Juan le compró a su mujer un diamante. -Le habrá comprado un diamante pero no le hace ni caso.-Juan bought his wife a diamond. -He might have bought her a diamond but he doesn't give her any attention.

-Ayer tomamos una decisión. -Habréis tomado una decisión, pero el problema surgirá de nuevo, estoy seguro.-We took a decision yesterday. -You may have taken a decision, but this problem will come up again, I am sure.

In both cases, using El Futuro Simple or El Futuro Perfecto, there is generally a "but" (pero) introducing the clause detailing the reason for the objection/disbelief.

See also Using the simple conditional or the perfect conditional to express objection/disbelief to a statement said before and Using the simple future and the perfect future to express surprise or rejection

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Examples and resources

-Ayer tomamos una decisión. -Habréis tomado una decisión, pero el problema surgirá de nuevo, estoy seguro.-We took a decision yesterday. -You may have taken a decision, but this problem will come up again, I am sure.
-Juan le compró a su mujer un diamante. -Le habrá comprado un diamante pero no le hace ni caso.-Juan bought his wife a diamond. -He might have bought her a diamond but he doesn't give her any attention.
-¡Qué zapatos más caros te has comprado! -Serán caros pero son comodísimos.-You bought such an expensive pair of shoes! -They may be expensive but they are incredibly comfortable.
Ganará el partido pero no creo que gane la temporada.They may win the match but I don't think they'll win the season.
-Julia come una barbaridad. -Comerá mucho pero nunca está gorda.-Julia eats loads. -She may eat a lot but she is never fat.
-Tus hijos son muy generosos contigo. -Serán generosos, pero nunca vienen a verme.-Your children are very generous with you. -They may be generous, but they never come to visit.
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