Italian grammar · Elementary (A2)
The futuro semplice: will
How to form the future tense in Italian, the common irregular stems, and when Italians use the future or the present.
Regular forms
To form the future, take off the final -e of the infinitive and add -ò, -ai, -à, -emo, -ete, -anno. In -are verbs, the a of the ending changes to e: → .
The and / forms end in an accented vowel, and the stress falls there: , .
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Spelling changes and irregular stems
Verbs in -care and -gare add an h to keep the hard sound: , . Verbs in -ciare and -giare drop the i: , .
Many common verbs shorten or change their stem, but the endings are always the same. Learn the form and the rest follows: …
| Infinitive | Future | Infinitive | Future |
|---|---|---|---|
When to use it
Use the future for predictions and promises: (It will rain tomorrow), (I'll call you). For plans that are already fixed, Italians very often use the present instead: .
The future can also express a guess about the present: (He's probably at home). After and about the future, Italian often uses the future where English uses the present: (When I arrive, I'll call you).
- L'anno prossimo studierò lo spagnolo.Next year I'll study Spanish.
- Che tempo farà domenica?What will the weather be like on Sunday?
- Sono le dieci: Anna sarà già in ufficio.It's ten o'clock: Anna must already be at the office.
The futuro anteriore
The (future perfect) is the future of or + the past participle: (I will have finished), (she will have left). Choose or , and make the participle agree, as in the passato prossimo.
Use it after and (as soon as) for something that will be finished before another future event, where English uses the present or present perfect: (As soon as I've finished, I'll call you). Like the simple future, it can also make a guess, but about the past: (He isn't answering: he's probably already left).
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