Future Tense: Guide to Forming and Using the Future Tense

The future tense is used to talk about actions and plans that will happen in the future. In Italian, the future tense is relatively straightforward to form and is commonly used in everyday language. This guide will teach you how to form and use the future tense in Italian.

Forming the Future Tense

To form the future tense in Italian, you need to add specific endings to the infinitive form of the verb. The endings change depending on the verb conjugation and the subject pronoun.

Here is the general rule for forming the future tense:

Verb Stem + Future Tense Ending

The future tense endings are:

• -ò for the first-person singular (io)
• -ai for the second-person singular (tu)
• -à for the third-person singular (lui/lei)
• -emo for the first-person plural (noi)
• -ete for the second-person plural (voi)
• -anno for the third-person plural (loro)

Examples:

• parlare (to speak) -> parlerò (I will speak), parlerai (you will speak), parlerà (he/she will speak), parleremo (we will speak), parlerete (you all will speak), parleranno (they will speak)
• mangiare (to eat) -> mangerò, mangerai, mangerà, mangeremo, mangerete, mangeranno

Irregular Verbs in the Future Tense

While most verbs follow the regular pattern in the future tense, there are some common irregular verbs that have unique conjugations. Here are a few examples:

• avere (to have) -> avrò, avrai, avrà, avremo, avrete, avranno
• essere (to be) -> sarò, sarai, sarà, saremo, sarete, saranno
• fare (to do/make) -> farò, farai, farà, faremo, farete, faranno
• venire (to come) -> verrò, verrai, verrà, verremo, verrete, verranno

Using the Future Tense

Now that you know how to form the future tense in Italian, let's look at how to use it in different contexts.

1. Talking about Future Actions

The future tense is commonly used to talk about actions that will happen in the future. This can include plans, predictions, or future events.

Examples:

• Andrò al cinema domani. (I will go to the cinema tomorrow.)
• Domani sarà una giornata di sole. (Tomorrow will be a sunny day.)
• Studieremo per l'esame domani. (We will study for the exam tomorrow.)

2. Making Polite Requests

The future tense can also be used to make polite requests or express intentions.

Examples:

• Potrebbe darmi indicazioni per arrivare alla stazione? (Could you give me directions to the train station?)
• Vorrei prenotare un tavolo per due persone. (I would like to book a table for two.)

3. Expressing Probability or Assumptions

In some cases, the future tense can be used to express probability or assumptions about the present or past.

Examples:

• Sarà già arrivato a casa. (He must have already arrived home.)
• Avrà detto la verità? (Did he tell the truth?)

4. Reporting Speech or Thoughts

The future tense is also used when reporting speech or thoughts in the past.

Examples:

• Ha detto che sarebbe venuto. (He said he would come.)
• Pensavo che avresti capito. (I thought you would understand.)

Conclusion

Congratulations! You now know how to form and use the future tense in Italian. Remember to practice using verbs in the future tense to become more comfortable with this important grammatical feature. With this knowledge, you'll be able to confidently talk about future actions and plans in Italian. Keep up the good work!