ще + Verb

The Future with Ще

Level 2Sounds Like bʺdeŝe vreme s ŝe

ще + present = future: Утре ще пиша. (Tomorrow I will write.) Ще дойдеш ли? (Will you come?)

How It Works

Forming the future

  • (аз) ще пиша, (ти) ще пишеш, (той/тя) ще пише
  • (ние) ще пишем, (вие) ще пишете, (те) ще пишат

See Uses of the Present Tense for the present forms.

Aspect

A perfective verb gives one completed future action: Ще напиша писмото. (I will write the letter, and finish it.) An imperfective verb gives an ongoing or repeated one: Ще пиша всеки ден. (I will write every day.) See Perfective and Imperfective Aspect.

Questions

Add ли after the verb: Ще дойдеш ли? (Will you come?)

Short pronouns go after ще

Short pronouns sit between ще and the verb: Ще го купя. (I will buy it.) Ще ти се обадя. (I will call you.) See Placement of Short Pronouns.

The negative: няма да

In everyday Bulgarian, do not put не before ще. Say няма да + present: Няма да дойда. (I will not come.) Не ще is found only in old or poetic writing. See The Negative Future With Няма Да.

Съм in the future

For "will be", use ще бъда or ще съм. See The Future of Съм.

Examples (6)

  1. Утре ще пиша писмо.

    Tomorrow I will write a letter.

  2. Ще дойдеш ли на партито?

    Will you come to the party?

  3. Довечера ще гледаме филм.

    Tonight we will watch a film.

  4. Ще ти се обадя по-късно.

    I will call you later.

    The short forms ти and се go between ще and the verb.

  5. Няма да закъснея.

    I will not be late.

    The everyday negative future uses няма да. Не ще is found only in old or poetic writing.

  6. Мисля, че ще вали.

    I think it will rain.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting a short pronoun before ще.

    Го ще купя утре.
    Ще го купя утре.

    A short pronoun cannot start a sentence, and in the future it goes after ще: ще го купя.

  • Negating ще with не after it.

    Ще не дойда.
    Няма да дойда.

    Не cannot come after ще. The everyday negative future is няма да followed by the present form.

  • Making the verb agree with ще instead of the subject.

    Той ще пиша.
    Той ще пише.

    Ще never changes, but the verb after it still agrees with the subject: той пише, so той ще пише.

How It Connects

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ще + VerbLevel 2The Future with Ще

Learn This First

The future with ще builds on the present tense.

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Words in This Pattern

няма