A2 Expressions & Patterns 4 min read Fácil

Future Predictions

Use 'ska' for your plans and 'kommer att' for things you predict will happen.
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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Use 'ska' for intentions and 'kommer att' for predictions to talk about what happens next.

  • Use 'ska' + infinitive for planned actions: Jag ska resa (I will travel).
  • Use 'kommer att' + infinitive for predictions: Det kommer att regna (It will rain).
  • The main verb is always in the infinitive form without 'att' after these auxiliaries.
Subject + (ska / kommer att) + Verb (infinitive) + ...

Overview

## Overview
In Swedish, we don't have a single 'future tense' verb ending like in some languages. Instead, we use auxiliary verbs. The most important ones are ska and kommer att.
Ska is your go-to for plans, intentions, and things you have decided to do. It feels very active and personal. On the other hand, kommer att is used when you are making a prediction about the future, often about things outside of your direct control, like the weather or the outcome of a game.
Mastering these two will make your Swedish sound much more natural and precise. Remember, the verb that follows these auxiliaries is always in its base form (the infinitive). You don't need to conjugate the second verb at all!
This makes Swedish future tense quite learner-friendly compared to other European languages. Whether you are texting a friend about meeting up or telling a colleague about a project deadline, these patterns are your bread and butter.
## How to Form It
Formation is straightforward. You take the auxiliary verb and add the main verb in its infinitive form.
Affirmative: Jag ska äta (I will eat).
Negative: Jag ska inte äta (I will not eat).
Question: Ska du äta? (Will you eat?)
Note that in the negative form, the word inte comes after the auxiliary verb. For kommer att, the structure is: Subject + kommer + att + infinitive. In the negative: Subject + kommer + inte + att + infinitive. Keep the att in place even when using inte.
## When to Use It
Use these patterns whenever you discuss the future. In texting, you might say 'Jag ska komma kl 18' (I will come at 6 PM). In a professional setting, you might say 'Projektet kommer att ta två veckor' (The project will take two weeks).
When ordering food, you might say 'Jag ska ha en pizza' (I will have a pizza). These are essential for travel, social planning, and work communication.
## Common Mistakes
The biggest mistake is conjugating the second verb. For example, saying 'Jag ska äter' is wrong. It must be 'Jag ska äta'.
Another mistake is forgetting the 'att' in 'kommer att'. Always keep the 'att' there. Finally, mixing up 'ska' and 'kommer att' is common, but usually understandable.
Just remember: 'ska' = plan, 'kommer att' = prediction.
## How It's Different From...
It is different from the present tense used for the future. In Swedish, you can often use the present tense for the future if the time is specified (e.g., 'Jag reser i morgon' - I am traveling tomorrow). The future constructions with 'ska' and 'kommer att' are used when you want to emphasize the future aspect or the intention/prediction specifically.
## CEFR-Level Explanations
A1: In Swedish, we use 'ska' to talk about plans. If you want to say 'I will eat', you say 'Jag ska äta'. It is very simple. You do not change the second word. It stays in the base form. Use 'ska' for things you want to do soon.
A2: At this level, you should distinguish between 'ska' (intentions) and 'kommer att' (predictions). For example, 'Jag ska träna' (I plan to exercise) vs 'Det kommer att regna' (It will rain). Remember to place 'inte' after the auxiliary verb to make it negative.
B1: Intermediate learners should note that 'ska' can also express obligation or a command in certain contexts. 'Kommer att' is strictly for future events. Be aware of word order in questions: 'Ska du gå?' (Will you go?). The auxiliary moves to the front.
B2: At the B2 level, you should recognize that 'kommer att' is often used for objective predictions, while 'ska' implies agency. In formal writing, avoid overusing 'kommer att' if a simple present tense suffices. Distinguish between 'ska' as a modal of intent versus 'skall' (the archaic/formal variant).
C1: Advanced users should analyze the pragmatic nuances. 'Ska' carries a sense of commitment. In literary contexts, the future tense can be used to create a sense of inevitability. Be mindful of how these auxiliaries interact with aspectual verbs.
C2: Near-native mastery involves understanding the historical evolution of 'skola' into 'ska'. Recognize regional variations where 'ska' might be replaced by 'skall' in formal registers. Understand the subtle shift in modality when 'kommer att' is used for future-in-the-past constructions.

Meanings

These constructions allow you to express future events, intentions, or predictions in Swedish.

1

Intentions

Expressing a personal plan or decision.

“Jag ska köpa mat.”

“Vi ska gå på bio.”

2

Predictions

Expressing what you think will happen based on evidence or intuition.

“Det kommer att bli soligt.”

“Det kommer att kosta mycket.”

Future Tense Formation

Form Auxiliary Main Verb Example
Affirmative ska infinitive Jag ska äta
Negative ska inte infinitive Jag ska inte äta
Question Ska infinitive Ska du äta?
Prediction kommer att infinitive Det kommer att regna
Neg. Prediction kommer inte att infinitive Det kommer inte att regna
Quest. Prediction Kommer infinitive Kommer det att regna?

Reference Table

Reference table for Future Predictions
Form Structure Example
Affirmative Subj + ska + inf Jag ska läsa
Negative Subj + ska + inte + inf Jag ska inte läsa
Question Ska + subj + inf? Ska du läsa?
Prediction Subj + kommer att + inf Det kommer att ske
Neg. Prediction Subj + kommer inte att + inf Det kommer inte att ske
Quest. Prediction Kommer + subj + att + inf? Kommer det att ske?
Short Answer Ja/Nej + (ska/kommer) Ja, det ska jag

Espectro de formalidad

Formal
Jag skall utföra det.

Jag skall utföra det. (Completing a task)

Neutral
Jag ska göra det.

Jag ska göra det. (Completing a task)

Informal
Jag ska fixa det.

Jag ska fixa det. (Completing a task)

Jerga
Jag kirrar det.

Jag kirrar det. (Completing a task)

Future Tense Map

Future

Intentions

  • ska will/shall

Predictions

  • kommer att is going to

Ska vs Kommer att

Ska
Jag ska jobba I will work
Kommer att
Det kommer att regna It will rain

Decision Flow

1

Is it a plan?

YES
Use 'ska'
NO
Use 'kommer att'

Usage Scenarios

💬

Social

  • • Meeting friends
  • • Planning dinner
💼

Work

  • • Deadlines
  • • Tasks
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Examples by Level

1

Jag ska sova.

I will sleep.

2

Vi ska äta.

We will eat.

3

Han ska gå.

He will go.

4

Hon ska läsa.

She will read.

1

Det kommer att bli kul.

It will be fun.

2

Jag ska inte jobba i morgon.

I will not work tomorrow.

3

Ska du följa med?

Will you come along?

4

Det kommer att kosta mycket.

It will cost a lot.

1

Vi kommer att behöva mer tid.

We will need more time.

2

Jag ska se till att det blir klart.

I will make sure it gets done.

3

Ska vi ses vid stationen?

Shall we meet at the station?

4

Det kommer att visa sig.

It will show itself.

1

Det kommer att krävas stora insatser.

Great efforts will be required.

2

Jag ska nog kunna lösa det.

I should be able to solve it.

3

Det kommer att bli en utmaning.

It will be a challenge.

4

Ska vi anta att det stämmer?

Shall we assume that is correct?

1

Det kommer att framgå av rapporten.

It will appear in the report.

2

Vi ska härmed meddela beslutet.

We shall hereby announce the decision.

3

Det kommer att te sig annorlunda.

It will appear different.

4

Ska vi betrakta detta som slutfört?

Shall we consider this finished?

1

Det kommer att föranleda en utredning.

It will lead to an investigation.

2

Man ska icke förglömma historien.

One shall not forget history.

3

Det kommer att utgöra ett prejudikat.

It will constitute a precedent.

4

Ska vi låta det bero?

Shall we let it be?

Easily Confused

Future Predictions vs Ska vs Kommer att

Learners often use them interchangeably for all future events.

Future Predictions vs Present vs Future

Present tense can be used for future, causing confusion.

Future Predictions vs Ska vs Vill

Learners confuse 'will' (future) with 'want' (desire).

Errores comunes

✗

Jag ska äter

✓

Jag ska äta

Never conjugate the second verb.
✗

Jag kommer att äta

✓

Jag ska äta

Use 'ska' for personal plans.
✗

Ska jag äta?

✓

Ska du äta?

Subject mismatch.
✗

Jag ska inte äter

✓

Jag ska inte äta

Conjugation error.
✗

Det ska regna

✓

Det kommer att regna

Weather is a prediction, not a plan.
✗

Jag kommer att gå

✓

Jag ska gå

Personal intent.
✗

Ska du att gå?

✓

Ska du gå?

No 'att' after 'ska'.
✗

Det kommer regna

✓

Det kommer att regna

Missing 'att'.
✗

Jag ska nog kommer

✓

Jag ska nog komma

Conjugation error.
✗

Ska vi att ses?

✓

Ska vi ses?

No 'att' after 'ska'.
✗

Det ska bli intressant

✓

Det kommer att bli intressant

Prediction vs plan.
✗

Vi ska komma att göra det

✓

Vi kommer att göra det

Redundant/incorrect auxiliary.
✗

Ska det regna?

✓

Kommer det att regna?

Prediction vs plan.
✗

Jag kommer att vill göra det

✓

Jag vill göra det

Incorrect auxiliary usage.

Sentence Patterns

Jag ska ___ i morgon.

Det kommer att ___ i helgen.

Ska du ___ med oss?

Vi kommer att ___ mer tid på det.

Real World Usage

Texting constant

Ska vi ses?

Work very common

Projektet kommer att ta tid.

Social Media common

Jag ska resa till Italien!

Travel common

Ska vi boka biljetter?

Food Delivery occasional

Jag ska ha en pizza.

Job Interview common

Jag kommer att bidra med...

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💡

Keep it simple

Don't overthink the auxiliary. If it's a plan, use 'ska'.
⚠️

No conjugation

The second verb must be in the infinitive. Never add -er or -ar.
🎯

Listen to natives

Notice how they use 'ska' for almost all personal future actions.
💬

Formal vs Informal

Use 'skall' in very formal writing, but stick to 'ska' for everything else.

Smart Tips

Always use 'ska' + infinitive.

Jag kommer att träna. → Jag ska träna.

Use 'kommer att' + infinitive.

Det ska regna. → Det kommer att regna.

Place 'inte' right after the auxiliary.

Jag ska äta inte. → Jag ska inte äta.

Start with the auxiliary.

Du ska gå? → Ska du gå?

Pronunciación

/ska/

Ska

Pronounced like 'skah'.

/kɔmːɛr/

Kommer

The 'r' is often swallowed in casual speech.

Question

Ska du gå? ↗

Rising intonation at the end for yes/no questions.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Ska is for 'S-elf' (my plans), Kommer is for 'C-osmos' (things happening to me).

Visual Association

Imagine holding a calendar for 'ska' (your plans) and looking at a weather forecast for 'kommer att' (predictions).

Rhyme

Ska is for what I plan to do, Kommer att is for what's coming to you.

Story

I decided I 'ska' run a marathon. I told my friend, 'Det kommer att bli svårt' (It will be hard). My friend said, 'Du ska klara det!' (You will make it!).

Word Web

skakommerattinteinfinitiveframtidplanera

Desafío

Write 3 sentences about your plans for tomorrow using 'ska' and 3 predictions about the weather using 'kommer att'.

Notas culturales

Swedes value punctuality. Using 'ska' for plans implies a strong commitment.

In Stockholm, 'ska' is often shortened in speech.

In Gothenburg, the 'r' is more pronounced.

The word 'ska' comes from the Old Norse 'skulu', meaning 'to be obliged to'.

Conversation Starters

“

Vad ska du göra i helgen?

“

Tror du att det kommer att snöa?

“

Vad ska du studera nästa år?

“

Hur tror du att framtiden kommer att se ut?

Journal Prompts

Write about your plans for the weekend.
Predict the weather for the next week.
Describe your career goals for the next five years.
Reflect on how society will change in the future.
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Test Yourself

Fill in the blank with 'ska' or 'kommer att'.

Jag ___ resa i morgon.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ska
It is a personal plan.
Choose the correct form. Opción múltiple

Det ___ regna i morgon.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: kommer att
Weather is a prediction.
Correct the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Jag ska äter pizza.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Jag ska äta pizza
Infinitive form needed.
Reorder the words. Sentence Reorder

Arrange the words in the correct order:

All words placed

Click words above to build the sentence

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Jag ska inte äta
Correct word order.
Translate to Swedish. Traducción

I will work tomorrow.

Answer starts with: Jag...

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Jag ska jobba i morgon
Personal plan.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: Ska du med? B: Ja, jag ___ med.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ska
Intentional action.
Build a sentence. Sentence Building

du / ska / vad / göra

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Vad ska du göra
Standard question order.
Match the sentence to the usage. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Prediction
Weather forecast.

Score: /8

Ejercicios de practica

8 exercises
Fill in the blank with 'ska' or 'kommer att'.

Jag ___ resa i morgon.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ska
It is a personal plan.
Choose the correct form. Opción múltiple

Det ___ regna i morgon.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: kommer att
Weather is a prediction.
Correct the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Jag ska äter pizza.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Jag ska äta pizza
Infinitive form needed.
Reorder the words. Sentence Reorder

inte / ska / jag / äta

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Jag ska inte äta
Correct word order.
Translate to Swedish. Traducción

I will work tomorrow.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Jag ska jobba i morgon
Personal plan.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: Ska du med? B: Ja, jag ___ med.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ska
Intentional action.
Build a sentence. Sentence Building

du / ska / vad / göra

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Vad ska du göra
Standard question order.
Match the sentence to the usage. Match Pairs

Det kommer att snöa.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Prediction
Weather forecast.

Score: /8

Preguntas frecuentes (8)

No, 'ska' implies intent. Weather is a prediction, so use 'kommer att'.

Yes, 'skall' is just the formal or archaic version of 'ska'.

No, never use 'att' after 'ska'.

Use 'kommer att' if it's outside your control, 'ska' if it's your action.

Yes, if you specify a time like 'i morgon'.

Put 'inte' after the auxiliary verb.

Yes, but 'ska' is much more common in daily chat.

Auxiliary verbs in Swedish always take the infinitive form of the main verb.

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In Other Languages

German high

werden + infinitive

Swedish has a specific word for intent (ska).

Spanish moderate

ir a + infinitive

Swedish uses auxiliary verbs rather than motion verbs.

French moderate

aller + infinitive

Swedish distinguishes intent vs prediction more clearly.

Japanese partial

tsumori desu

Japanese is agglutinative; Swedish is analytic.

Arabic low

sa- prefix

Swedish uses separate auxiliary words.

Chinese moderate

yào

Chinese has no verb conjugation.

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Future Intentions

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