-onta

-onta: About to Do

Level 4

-onta means the action has not started yet.

How It Works

VerbParticipleMeaning
venivenontacoming, next
iriirontaabout to go
estiestontafuture

The word for last is its partner -inta: la pasinta semajno is last week and la venonta semajno is next week.

A time phrase that tells when something happens needs a marker. Write en la venonta jaro, or add -n to the whole phrase: la venontan jaron. Often a simple -os verb says the same as an -onta form with estas, so the long form is rare. A person can be -onta too: la irontaj gastoj are the guests who will go soon.

Examples (4)

  1. La venonta semajno estos bela por la kongreso.

    Next week will be good for the congress.

    Venonta shows that the week has not come yet.

  2. Kenji vizitos nin en la venonta jaro.

    Kenji will visit us next year.

    En comes before the whole phrase la venonta jaro.

  3. La irontaj gastoj jam portas siajn valizojn.

    The guests who are about to go are already carrying their suitcases.

    Irontaj has -j because gastoj is plural.

  4. Ni parolos pri la venonta kunveno ĉe la klubo.

    We will talk about the next meeting at the club.

    Venonta describes the meeting that is still to come.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out the marker on a time phrase.

    Kenji vizitos nin la venonta jaro.
    Kenji vizitos nin en la venonta jaro.

    A time phrase needs en before it, or -n on the whole phrase: la venontan jaron.

How It Connects

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

-ontaLevel 4-onta: About to Do

Learn This First

-onta changes only the tense of -anta.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.