The Future Tense in Italian
The Italian future tense (futuro semplice) is formed by dropping the ending of the infinitive, adding -er- (or -ir- for -ire verbs) and then the endings -ò, -ai, -à, -emo, -ete, -anno. For example, parlare becomes parlerò (I will speak). You use it to talk about future actions, to make predictions and promises, and to make assumptions.
The future tense in Italian, known as futuro, is similar to the English will + verb (I will eat) and is used to talk about actions that, of course, will happen in the future.
It has two tenses: futuro semplice (simple future) and futuro anteriore (future perfect). Here, I will focus on the simple future only, specifically on regular verbs. But there are other articles dedicated to the future of irregular verbs and the future perfect, so go check them out!
Regular Simple Future in Italian
Conjugation
Forming the simple future in Italian is relatively easy: as with all verb conjugations, you have to drop the ending of the infinitive (-are, –ere, –ire) and add those of the corresponding tense.
In the case of the Italian simple future, these endings are composed of:
- thematic vowel (-are-> e; –ere-> e; –ire-> i)
- r
- conjugation
Sounds familiar? Yes, it is the same as the present conditional, but conjugated ending change of course! Let me show you what I mean with the verb cantare (to sing).
First, we get rid of the ending of the infinitive and obtain cant-. This is a first conjugation verb, therefore we add the thematic vowel e, and obtain cant–e. Then, we add the r and obtain cant–e–r, and finally we attach the endings that are specific for the futuro semplice, as follows:
| io | -ò |
| tu | -ai |
| lui/lei | -à |
| noi | -emo |
| voi | -ete |
| loro | -anno |
Therefore, if you want to say that you will sing a song, you can say Io canterò una canzone.
As I said, it is not that hard, but if you feel it is tricky at the beginning, I’ll give you good news: the endings are the same for all three verb conjugations! Feel relieved?
Here I created three tables so that you can see how regular verbs work:
- -are as in parlare (to talk)
| Io parlerò | I will talk |
| Tu parlerai | You will talk |
| Lui/lei parlerà | He/she will talk |
| Noi parleremo | We will talk |
| Voi parlerete | You will talk |
| Loro parleranno | They will talk |
- -ere as in credere (to think)
| Io crederò | I will think |
| Tu crederai | You will think |
| Lui/lei crederà | He/she will think |
| Noi crederemo | We will think |
| Voi crederete | You will think |
| Loro crederanno | They will think |
- -ire as in sentire (to feel)
| Io sentirò | I will feel |
| Tu sentirai | You will feel |
| Lui/lei sentirà | He/she will feel |
| Noi sentiremo | We will feel |
| Voi sentirete | You will feel |
| Loro sentiranno | They will feel |
Spelling Changes in the Future
Some regular verbs change their spelling to keep the sound of the stem:
- Verbs in -care and -gare add an h before the ending, to keep the hard sound of c and g.
- Verbs in -ciare and -giare drop the i of the stem, because the ending already begins with e.
| Infinitive | io | noi | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| cercare | cercherò | cercheremo | to look for |
| pagare | pagherò | pagheremo | to pay |
| dimenticare | dimenticherò | dimenticheremo | to forget |
| cominciare | comincerò | cominceremo | to start |
| mangiare | mangerò | mangeremo | to eat |
| viaggiare | viaggerò | viaggeremo | to travel |
Three common verbs keep the a of the infinitive: dare (darò), stare (starò) and fare (farò). You can see the full future of fare in the lesson on the verb fare, and the verbs that change their stem in the lesson on irregular futures.
When to use Futuro Semplice
In Italian, we use the simple future in the following cases:
- To indicate an action or event that will occur in the future:
L’anno prossimo mi trasferirò in Italia.
Next year I will move to Italy.
- To predict a future event:
Secondo me, nevicherà domani.
I think it will snow tomorrow.
- To express a spontaneous decision:
Ok, gli scriverò!
Alright, I am going to text him!
- To hypothesize about the future:
Se piove, rimarremo in casa.
If it rains, we will stay indoors.
- In specific circumstances, we use the future to make assumptions:
Non trovo il telefono. Sarà a casa.
I can’t find my phone. It might be home.
Time Words for the Future
These expressions often go with the future tense (see also the list of Italian adverbs of time):
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| domani | tomorrow |
| dopodomani | the day after tomorrow |
| stasera | tonight |
| la settimana prossima | next week |
| l’anno prossimo | next year |
| tra un mese | in a month |
| tra poco | in a little while |
| presto | soon |
| un giorno | one day |
Promises and Plans
The future is also the tense of promises and firm intentions:
Ti aiuterò, te lo prometto.
I’ll help you, I promise.
Domani finirò il lavoro.
Tomorrow I’ll finish the work.
Quando and Appena Take the Future in Italian
After quando (when) and appena (as soon as), Italian uses the future when the action has not happened yet. English uses the present here, so it is easy to make a mistake:
Quando arriverò, ti chiamerò.
When I arrive, I’ll call you.
Appena avrò tempo, ti scriverò.
As soon as I have time, I’ll write to you.
After se (if), on the other hand, you use the present: Se piove, rimarremo in casa.
Is There a “Going to” Future in Italian?
No. Where English says “I’m going to call him”, Italian uses the future or the present: Lo chiamerò domani or Lo chiamo domani. Do not translate “going to” with andare a: Vado a chiamarlo means “I’m going (there) to call him”.
Other Types of Future
As you might have seen, the Italian simple future can be translated into different types of future tense in English. This is because English, unlike Italian, classifies future based on other characteristics as well, like intention and certainty that a future even will take place.
However, also the Italian language has other ways to express the future. For instance, we can use the present tense to talk about the future, especially when we are sure of what will happen in the future.
Domani vado al mercato, vieni con me?
Tomorrow I am going to the market, are you coming with me?
Another way we can express the future in Italian is with the expression stare per + infinitive. Specifically, this translates in “to be about to”, therefore it is used to talk about actions that will happen in the very recent future.
Sposta il libro, sta per cadere.
Move the book, it is about to fall.
Regular Future Exercise
Put the verb in brackets in the futuro semplice:
- Domani io (mangiare) fuori.
- L’anno prossimo noi (viaggiare) in Sicilia.
- Tu (pagare) il conto?
- Marco (partire) presto.
- Quando (arrivare, io) a casa, ti (chiamare, io).
- Loro (cominciare) il corso a settembre.
- Voi (credere) alla storia?
Answers: 1. mangerò, 2. viaggeremo, 3. pagherai, 4. partirà, 5. arriverò and chiamerò, 6. cominceranno, 7. crederete.
Italian Future Tense: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you form the future tense in Italian?
Drop the ending of the infinitive, add -er- (-ir- for -ire verbs) and then the endings -ò, -ai, -à, -emo, -ete, -anno. The endings are the same for all three conjugations.
What is the futuro semplice used for?
It is used for future actions, predictions, spontaneous decisions, promises, hypotheses and assumptions about the present (Sarà a casa: He/she must be at home).
What is the difference between futuro semplice and futuro anteriore?
The futuro semplice talks about something that will happen (Partirò, I will leave). The futuro anteriore talks about something that will have happened before another future event (Quando sarò arrivato, When I have arrived). Read more in the lesson on the future perfect.
Can you use the present tense for the future in Italian?
Yes, especially when the plan is certain or near: Domani vado al mercato. The future tense sounds a little more distant or less certain.
Ready to Make Predictions
Imparerai l’italiano velocemente! (You will learn Italian fast!)
If you keep studying, I am sure this will happen! You are a step further in your Italian learning journey: I have just embarked the world of the future events. You can now make predictions, hypotheses, and even assumptions.
So, practice the use of this verb tense and unlock new topics and conversations!
