do paskësh

Future Admirative

Level 4

The Future Admirative (E ardhme habitore) is used to express that a future event is unexpected, ironic, or reported via hearsay. It is formed by combining the future particle do të with the present admirative form of the main verb. To negate it, place nuk at the very beginning.

How It Works

The Future Admirative is a grammatical tense within the Albanian mood system used to convey specific emotional nuances regarding future events. It is constructed periphrastically:

[do të] + [Present Admirative]

The particle do is invariable; only the following admirative verb form inflects. To form the Present Admirative base, you start with the past participle:

1. For verbs ending in -uar (like punuar), remove the final -r to get the base (punua-).
2. For verbs ending in -ur (like hapur, pasur), remove the -ur suffix to get the base (hap-, pas-).
3. For verbs ending in a vowel + -rë or -në (like blerë, lënë), remove the entire suffix to get the base (ble-, lë-). For others ending in -ë (like marrë), remove the -ë (marr-).

Then, attach the present tense endings of kam (-kam, -ke, -ka, -kemi, -keni, -kan).

Key Functions:

  • Unexpected Outcomes: Realizing a future situation will be different than previously assumed.
  • Irony/Skepticism: Doubting someone else's future claims or intentions.
  • Reportedness (Hearsay): Reporting a future event heard from others, often with a hint of surprise or doubt.

While this tense is recognized in Standard Albanian, it is relatively rare and less frequent than the Present Admirative or Perfect Admirative. It is primarily used when a speaker wants to emphasize surprise regarding a future state (e.g., do të paskam shumë punë nesër! - "It turns out I'll have a lot of work tomorrow!").

Examples (4)

  1. Do të qenka një vit i vështirë, siç thonë.

    They say it's going to be a difficult year (surprisingly).

    Word by Word: Will be-admirative a year of difficult, as say.

    The speaker uses the future admirative to report hearsay about the future with a sense of distance or surprise.

  2. Nuk do të mbetkemi në klasë, mos u shqetëso!

    We won't (surprisingly) fail the class, don't worry!

    Word by Word: Not will fail-admirative in class, not be worried!

    This shows the negative form using 'nuk' to express disbelief that a negative future outcome will occur.

  3. Do të paskam shumë punë nesër, siç duket.

    It seems I will (unexpectedly) have a lot of work tomorrow.

    Word by Word: Will have-admirative much work tomorrow, as looks.

    The speaker uses the admirative of kam to express surprise at a newly discovered schedule.

  4. Do të punuaka edhe ai me ne?

    Will he (surprisingly) be working with us too?

    Word by Word: Will work-admirative also he with us?

    The speaker expresses skepticism or surprise about a third party's future involvement in a conversation.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the full participle instead of the admirative base.

    Do të punuarkam nesër.
    Do të punuakam nesër.

    The admirative is formed by removing the final '-r' from the full participle (punuar) to create the admirative base (punua-), then adding the endings. Including the '-r' is a common error.

  • Incorrect placement of the negation particle.

    Do të nuk punuakam.
    Nuk do të punuakam.

    The negation particle nuk must come before the entire future construction, not between the particle 'do të' and the verb.

  • Confusing the short participle with the admirative base for -uar verbs.

    Do të punukam.
    Do të punuakam.

    While the short participle of 'punuar' is 'punu', the admirative base for verbs ending in '-uar' is 'punua-'. You must use the base ending in '-a' before adding the admirative endings.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

do paskëshLevel 4Future Admirative

Learn This First

To understand the Future Admirative, you must first be familiar with the basic Admirative mood (used for surprise), the standard Future tense construction using 'do', and the use of the particle 'të' found in the subjunctive mood.

Words in This Pattern