буду + Infinitive

Compound Future of Imperfective Verbs

Level 3Sounds Like budu + ínfínítyŭ

буду / будзеш / будзе … + imperfective infinitive: Я буду чытаць, Мы будзем працаваць.

How It Works

The compound future is the future of быць plus an imperfective infinitive:

  • я буду чытаць
  • ты будзеш чытаць
  • ён, яна будзе чытаць
  • мы будзем чытаць
  • вы будзеце чытаць
  • яны будуць чытаць

When to use it. It is the future of imperfective verbs, so it describes:

  • an activity over a period of time: Увечары я буду чытаць (In the evening I'll be reading)
  • repeated actions and habits: Я буду званіць табе кожны дзень (I'll call you every day)
  • the activity itself rather than a result: Што ты будзеш рабіць увечары? (What are you going to do this evening?)

Only imperfective verbs. A perfective verb such as прачытаць or напісаць cannot follow буду. For one completed result, use the perfective future: Я прачытаю кнігу (I'll read the book to the end).

Compare the two futures:

  • Заўтра я буду пісаць ліст. Tomorrow I'll be writing a letter. This is about the activity.
  • Заўтра я напішу ліст. Tomorrow I'll write the letter. It will be finished.

Negation. Не goes before буду: Я не буду чакаць (I won't wait).

For a fixed plan, the present tense often works as well: Заўтра я еду ў Віцебск. See present for planned future.

Examples (6)

  1. Я буду чытаць увесь вечар.

    I'll be reading all evening.

    Word by Word: I will-be to-read all evening.

  2. Што ты будзеш рабіць увечары?

    What will you do this evening?

    Word by Word: What you will-be to-do in-evening?

  3. Летам мы будзем жыць у вёсцы.

    In the summer we will live in the village.

    Word by Word: In-summer we will-be to-live in village.

  4. Я буду званіць табе кожны дзень.

    I'll call you every day.

    Word by Word: I will-be to-call you every day.

    A repeated action, so the imperfective званіць.

  5. Яны будуць вывучаць беларускую мову.

    They will study Belarusian.

    Word by Word: They will-be to-study Belarusian language.

  6. Я не буду чакаць.

    I won't wait.

    Word by Word: I not will-be to-wait.

    Не goes before буду.

Common Mistakes

  • Using буду with a perfective verb.

    Я буду напісаць ліст.
    Я напішу ліст.

    Perfective verbs have a one-word future. Буду goes only with imperfective infinitives: Я буду пісаць ліст.

  • Conjugating the second verb too.

    Я буду чытаю.
    Я буду чытаць.

    Only буду shows the person. The verb after it stays in the infinitive.

  • Not matching буду to the subject.

    Што ты буду рабіць?
    Што ты будзеш рабіць?

    Буду is the я form. With ты, use будзеш.

How It Connects

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

буду + InfinitiveLevel 3Compound Future of Imperfective Verbs

Learn This First

The compound future needs буду and the imperfective.

Words in This Pattern

быць