The short answer
Swedish has no future ending on the verb. There are three ways to express it. Ska + infinitive is for something decided or intended: jag ska resa imorgon. Kommer att + infinitive is for a prediction, something you expect to happen whether or not anyone decided it: det kommer att regna. And the plain present with a time word is what people use most in speech: jag åker imorgon.
Swedish has several ways to express the future:
1. 'ska' + infinitive (intention/plan), 2. 'kommer att' + infinitive (prediction), 3. Present tense + time word (common in speech).
The three futures compared
| Form | Used for | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ska + infinitive | intention, decision, plan | Jag ska ringa henne | I'm going to call her |
| kommer att + infinitive | prediction, expectation | Det kommer att regna | It's going to rain |
| present + time word | scheduled, near future | Vi åker på fredag | We're leaving on Friday |
| tänker + infinitive | stated intention | Jag tänker sluta | I intend to quit |
In a sentence
Jag ska resa imorgon
I'm going to travel tomorrow (plan)
Det kommer att regna
It's going to rain (prediction)
Jag åker imorgon
I'm leaving tomorrow (present + time)
What learners get wrong
Jag ska att resa.
Say instead: Jag ska resa.
Ska takes a bare infinitive with no att. Only kommer keeps the att: kommer att resa.
Jag ska bli sjuk.
Say instead: Jag kommer att bli sjuk.
Ska implies you decided it. Falling ill is not a plan, so a prediction needs kommer att — the difference is audible to a Swede and slightly comic here.
Questions people ask
- What is the difference between ska and kommer att?
- Ska carries intention: somebody has decided. Kommer att carries expectation: this is what is going to happen. Jag ska sluta röka is a decision to quit smoking; jag kommer att sluta röka is a prediction that it will happen. With weather, illness and anything outside anyone's control, kommer att is the natural choice.
- Can I just use the present tense for the future?
- Yes, and it is extremely common — more common than either alternative in casual speech, provided a time expression makes the timing clear. Vi ses på måndag, jag åker imorgon, tåget går klockan sju. Without the time word the sentence reads as present.
- Is ska the same as the English "shall"?
- They are historically the same word, but the meanings have drifted. Swedish ska is ordinary and everyday, used constantly, where English "shall" now sounds formal or legal. Translate it as "will" or "am going to" rather than "shall".
Sources
Usage checked against Isof, the Swedish government's language institute, and Svenska Akademien. Where usage is genuinely divided, this page says so rather than inventing a rule.