There is a full future tense in Spanish (hablaré, comeré…), but here's a secret: in everyday speech, people mostly use a simpler structure — exactly like English "going to". Learn it first; it does most of the work.

The short version: take ir (to go), add a, then any verb in its base form: voy a comer = I'm going to eat. Conjugate only ir; the second verb never changes.

The formula

ir (conjugated) + a + infinitive

PersonirExample
yovoyVoy a estudiar — I'm going to study
túvasVas a ganar — You're going to win
él / ellavaVa a llover — It's going to rain
nosotrosvamosVamos a comer — We're going to eat
ellos / ustedesvanVan a viajar — They're going to travel

The only thing you conjugate is ir. The action verb stays in the infinitive (estudiar, comer, viajar). That's why this is so beginner-friendly.

When to use it

Plans and intentions (Mañana voy a trabajar — Tomorrow I'm going to work), predictions (Va a nevar — It's going to snow), and near-future decisions. Add a time word to be clear: esta noche (tonight), mañana (tomorrow), el fin de semana (at the weekend).

Bonus: vamos a… = let's…

Vamos a comer can mean both "We're going to eat" and "Let's eat" depending on context. Native speakers use vamos a + verb constantly as a friendly "let's".

Because it runs on ir in the present, this slots right in after the present tense, and you can turn any of these into a question with the Spanish question words: ¿Qué vas a hacer? — What are you going to do?