munu
Will (Munu)
munu + infinitive means will: Það mun rigna á morgun (It will rain tomorrow). It has a formal, news-like sound.
How It Works
Forms. ég mun, þú munt, hún mun, við munum, þið munuð, þau munu. The present subjunctive is muni, and the past subjunctive is mundi or myndi (see myndi). The infinitive follows without að.
Predictions.
- Það mun rigna á morgun. (It will rain tomorrow.)
- Framkvæmdirnar munu taka tvö ár. (The construction will take two years.)
- Þið munuð sjá kirkjuna á vinstri hönd. (You will see the church on your left.)
In að-clauses. After halda, telja and vona, munu goes into the subjunctive: Hún heldur að hún muni ná prófinu (She thinks she will pass the exam). See present subjunctive.
Probably and reportedly. In formal style, mun + vera passes on what is believed to be true: Vegurinn mun vera lokaður (The road is reportedly closed). This use is covered in mun hafa/á að vera.
Which future should you use?
- A plan: Ég ætla að fara til Akureyrar.
- A time word + the present: Ég kem á morgun.
- A future state: Það verður kalt í kvöld.
- A formal prediction: Það mun kólna í vikunni. (It will get colder this week.)
munu can also stress that something definitely will happen: Við munum gera betur næst (We will do better next time).
Examples (5)
- Það mun rigna á morgun.
It will rain tomorrow.
Word by Word: It will rain on morning.
- Framkvæmdirnar munu taka tvö ár.
The construction will take two years.
Word by Word: The works will take two years.
- Þið munuð sjá kirkjuna á vinstri hönd.
You will see the church on your left.
Word by Word: You (pl.) will see the church on left hand.
- Hún heldur að hún muni ná prófinu.
She thinks she will pass the exam.
Word by Word: She holds that she will reach the exam.
After halda, munu is in the subjunctive: muni.
- Vegurinn mun vera lokaður.
The road is reportedly closed.
Word by Word: The road will be closed.
Formal mun vera passes on information rather than predicting.
Common Mistakes
Using muna-style forms for the plural of munu.
Þið munið sjá kirkjuna á vinstri hönd.Þið munuð sjá kirkjuna á vinstri hönd.munið is a form of muna (remember). The þið form of munu is munuð.
Using the subjunctive form in a plain statement.
Þú munir sjá kirkjuna.Þú munt sjá kirkjuna.In a main clause, use the indicative munt. munir is the subjunctive, used in clauses after verbs like halda.
Adding að after munu.
Það mun að rigna á morgun.Það mun rigna á morgun.munu takes the infinitive directly, without að.
How It Connects
Learn This First
munu builds on verða (will be).
Related Patterns
- ætla aðGoing to (Ætla Að)
The everyday way to talk about plans.
Level 1 - Talking About the Future
The present with a time word is the most common future in speech.
Level 2 - myndiWould (Myndi)
The past subjunctive of munu, meaning would.
Level 3 - mun hafa / á að veraReported and Probable (Mun, Á Að)
mun can also pass on reported or probable information.
Level 5 - Verbs Like vita and kunna
munu belongs to this group: mun, not munur.
Level 4
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice munu in Bubblegum
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