Use of present vs. future tense in example

Question

Hello.  The following example in this lesson threw me off:  "After the party we will call a taxi" (Despues de fiesta llamamos un taxi).  My question is why was the present tense ("llamamos"), and not the future tense ("llamaremos"), used here?  My guess is that the future time is very short (i.e., right after the party).  If this is correct, is there a general rule for a given time frame that would require use of the future tense?  Thank you for any clarification.

Silvia Piriz · Accepted Answer

Daniel B.
Great question! In Spanish, it's quite common to use the present tense to refer to near-future actions, especially when the event is seen as planned or expected to happen soon. This is why llamamos un taxi is used instead of llamaremos un taxi—the present tense conveys a sense of immediacy and certainty about the action taking place after the party.
Your intuition is correct that a short time frame can influence this choice, but it's not necessarily about a strict rule regarding time. Instead, the present tense is often used for scheduled or imminent future actions, particularly in informal speech. The future tense (llamaremos) would still be grammatically correct but might sound slightly more formal or less immediate.
A general guideline is that when referring to the distant or uncertain future, the future tense is more common, while the present tense is often used for events that are planned and expected to happen soon. For example, Mañana vamos al cine ('Tomorrow we are going to the movies') sounds natural and conversational, while Mañana iremos al cine might feel more formal or emphasize the future aspect more strongly.
Hope this helps clarify things!
Let me know if you have any other questions. 😊
Un saludo
Silvia