B2 (Upper Intermediate)Lesson 2: Compound Tenses & Aspect
The future perfect expresses actions that will have been completed by a specific point in the future, using the future tense of "ter" plus a past participle (terei falado = I will have spoken).
Normally ter in the future + past participle; rarer haver is also valid
Future of ter: terei, terá, teremos, terão
Regular participles: -AR → -ado, -ER/-IR → -ido
Irregular participles must be memorized (feito, dito, visto, etc.)
Expresses completion before a future point
Often paired with time markers: "até", "quando", "antes que"
Common in writing; speech often uses ir + ter + participle or a present tense with future context
In active compound tenses directly with ter/haver, the participle stays masculine singular
future of ter (terei, terá, teremos, terão), or rarer haver + past participle (regular: -ado for -AR, -ido for -ER/-IR)
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The future perfect is your time-travel telescope – it lets you look back from a future point to see what will already be done! In casual Brazilian speech, alternatives such as "já vai ter terminado" are common alongside "terá terminado"; the future perfect is useful for formal writing, business deadlines, and academic work. You'll encounter it in contracts ("teremos entregado até sexta"), news reports ("o governo terá implementado as mudanças"), and any situation where precision about future completion matters – think project timelines, travel planning, or making promises about what you'll have accomplished.
The future perfect normally combines the future tense of "ter" (to have) with a past participle. Think of it as saying "I will have [done something]" in English. "Haver" is a valid, rarer auxiliary alternative, especially in formal or literary writing.
| Pronoun | Future of TER | Example with "falado" |
|---|---|---|
| eu | terei | terei falado |
| tu | terás | terás falado |
| você | terá | terá falado |
| ele/ela | terá | terá falado |
| nós | teremos | teremos falado |
| a gente | terá | terá falado |
"Terei terminado o projeto antes do prazo" (I will have finished the project before the deadline)
"Até o final do mês, teremos fechado três contratos" (By month's end, we'll have closed three contracts)
"Quando o chefe voltar, já teremos resolvido tudo" (When the boss returns, we'll have solved everything)
"A equipe terá entregado os resultados até quarta" (The team will have delivered the results by Wednesday)
"Terei lido todos os capítulos antes da prova" (I will have read all chapters before the test)
"Até a formatura, teremos estudado por cinco anos" (By graduation, we'll have studied for five years)
"Quando começar o mestrado, já terei publicado dois artigos" (When I start my master's, I'll have already published two articles)
In active compound tenses directly with "ter/haver", the Portuguese participle does not agree with the subject or direct object:
❌ "As cartas? Terei escritas amanhã"
✅ "As cartas? Terei escrito amanhã"
Here the participle stays masculine singular; this rule does not describe every passive construction.
The regular form is a traditional preference with "ter/haver", but some short forms are also standard:
✅ "Terei aceito o convite" (accepted in Brazilian standard usage)
✅ "Terei aceitado o convite"
"imprimir" also permits both "terei imprimido" and "terei impresso".
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