The Future Tense

Level 3

Drop -t from the infinitive and add -šu, -si, -s, -sim, -siet, -s: runāt → runāšu (I will speak), būt → būšu (I will be).

How It Works

1. The endings. Take the infinitive, drop -t, and add:

  • es runāšu, tu runāsi, viņš / viņa runās
  • mēs runāsim, jūs runāsiet or runāsit, viņi / viņas runās

Both -siet and -sit are correct for jūs, and you will see both.

2. The same rule for every verb.

  • lasīt → lasīšu, lasīsi, lasīs (read)
  • braukt → braukšu, brauksi, brauks (drive, travel)
  • būt → būšu, būsi, būs (be)
  • iet → iešu, iesi, ies (go)
  • dot → došu, dosi, dos (give)

Even būt and iet, which are irregular in the present, are regular in the future.

3. Verbs that add -ī-. First-conjugation verbs whose root ends in s, z, t or d put -ī- before the ending. The root is the one you see in the present tense:

  • nest (nesu) → nesīšu (I will carry)
  • vest (vedu) → vedīšu (I will take)
  • sist (situ) → sitīšu (I will hit)
  • ēst (ēdu) → ēdīšu (I will eat)
  • lauzt (laužu) → lauzīšu (I will break)

4. Negation. Write ne- together with the verb: nebūšu (I will not be), nerunāsim (we will not speak).

5. When to use it. The future is the normal way to talk about what will happen: Rīt es strādāšu mājās. A fixed plan can also use the present (see present tense meaning). The future is also used after ja (if) and kad (when) for future events, and its mēs form can mean let's (Iesim!).

Examples (6)

  1. Rīt es strādāšu mājās.

    Tomorrow I will work at home.

  2. Vai tu būsi mājās vakarā?

    Will you be at home this evening?

  3. Es tev piezvanīšu.

    I will call you.

    Piezvanīt (to call) takes the person in the dative: tev.

  4. Viņi atbrauks sestdien.

    They will arrive on Saturday.

    The third person is the same for one person or many: viņš atbrauks, viņi atbrauks.

  5. Vakariņās mēs ēdīsim zivi.

    We will have fish for dinner.

    Ēst has the root ēd-, so it adds -ī-: ēdīsim.

  6. Nākamgad mēs brauksim uz Itāliju.

    Next year we will go to Italy.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the third-person form with es.

    Rīt es būs mājās.
    Rīt es būšu mājās.

    Only the es form has -š-: es būšu. Būs is for viņš, viņa and viņi.

  • Forgetting -ī- after a root ending in d.

    Vakariņās es ēsšu zivi.
    Vakariņās es ēdīšu zivi.

    Ēst has the root ēd- (es ēdu), and roots ending in s, z, t or d add -ī-: ēdīšu.

  • Writing ne separately.

    Es ne būšu mājās.
    Es nebūšu mājās.

    Ne is written together with the verb in every tense: nebūšu, nerunāsim.

How It Connects

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The Future TenseLevel 3

Learn This First

The future tense follows the present.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.