Talking About the Future

Level 2

Icelandic has no future tense. The present tense with a time word does the job: Ég kem á morgun (I'll come tomorrow).

How It Works

No future ending. Icelandic verbs have only a present and a past tense. The present covers the future when the context or a time word makes it clear:

  • Ég kem á morgun. (I'll come tomorrow.)
  • Ég hringi í þig í kvöld. (I'll call you tonight.)
  • Flugið fer klukkan sjö í fyrramálið. (The flight leaves at seven tomorrow morning.)

Useful time words: á morgun, í kvöld, í næstu viku, á næsta ári, bráðum, seinna. See í gær/í dag/á morgun.

Other ways to talk about the future.

  • ætla að + infinitive for plans and intentions: Ég ætla að fara til Akureyrar.
  • verða instead of vera for future states: Það verður kalt á morgun.
  • munu + infinitive for firm predictions, mostly in formal language and the news: Það mun rigna á morgun.

A trap for English speakers. vil looks like "will", but vilja means "want". Ég vil koma means "I want to come", not "I will come".

Examples (6)

  1. Ég kem á morgun.

    I'll come tomorrow.

    Word by Word: I come tomorrow.

  2. Hún fer til Parísar í næstu viku.

    She is going to Paris next week.

    Word by Word: She goes to Paris in next week.

  3. Flugið fer klukkan sjö í fyrramálið.

    The flight leaves at seven tomorrow morning.

    Word by Word: The-flight goes at-clock seven tomorrow-morning.

  4. Ég hringi í þig í kvöld.

    I'll call you tonight.

    Word by Word: I ring in you tonight.

  5. Við sjáumst á morgun!

    See you tomorrow!

    Word by Word: We see-each-other tomorrow!

  6. Hvenær byrjar myndin?

    When does the film start?

    Word by Word: When starts the-film?

Common Mistakes

  • Using vilja to mean "will" when you intend to say "I will come tomorrow".

    Ég vil koma á morgun.
    Ég kem á morgun.

    Ég vil koma means "I want to come". To say "I will come", use the present tense with a time word.

  • Using verða + infinitive as a future helper.

    Ég verð fara á morgun.
    Ég fer á morgun.

    verða is not a general future helper. On its own it means "will be" or "become", and with að it means "must": Ég verð að fara.

How It Connects

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

Talking About the FutureLevel 2

Learn This First

The present for the future builds on ætla að.

Words in This Pattern

ætla