The Future Tense in Italian – How to Form and Use It

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Dove andrete domani? Andremo in centro. (Where are you going tomorrow? We are going downtown.) 

The verb used in this sentence is andare.
It is conjugated in the future tense. Here are some of the most important things to know about the Future Tense in Italian – How to Form and Use It.

Do you know how to use the Future Tense in Italian?

Look at these examples to see how the Future verb is used.

L’anno prossimo andrò in vacanza a Londra.
Domani il tempo sarà bello e farà caldo.
Se l’anno prossimo avrò abbastanza soldi, comprerò una nuova automobile

Listen to the examples

Try this exercise to test your grammar

Read the explanation to learn more.



The Future Tense in Italian – How to Form and Use It

In Italian the future is a simple tense, you do not need an auxiliary as in English (will-shall).
To form the regular “futuro semplice” add the appropriate endings to the stem of the verbs.

In general, the future tense is used less in Italian than in English, and it is often possible when talking about something which we are almost sure will happen, to use the presentParto domani.


 How to use the future 

In Italian The FUTURO SEMPLICE is used in different situations:

how to use the future The Future Tense in Italian – How to Form and Use It

➜ Azione in un tempo futuro (Action in a future time)

Indicating an action that takes place in a future time

Es.
Domani alle cinque incontrerò Giulia (I will meet Giulia tomorrow at five)

➜ Previsioni: (making predictions/forecasting)

Es.:
Domani ci sarà il sole. (It will be sunny tomorrow.)

Secondo me, domani tornerà il bel tempo! (I think that tomorrow the weather will be nice again!)

➜ Promesse(making promises)

Es.:
Mamma, ti prometto che da domani studierò di più! (Mom, I promise you that I will study more tomorrow!)

Domani smetterò di fumare. Prometto! (Tomorrow I’ll quit smoking. I promise!)

➜ Programmi/PROGETTI: (making plans)

Es.:
L’estate prossima andremo in vacanza in montagna. (Next summer we will go on holiday to the mountains.)

L’anno prossimo farò un viaggio negli Stati Uniti! (Next year I’ll travel to the States!)

➜ Supposizioni / dubbi: (Assumptions/doubts)

Es.:
Che ora sarà? Saranno le quattro. (What time can it be? It is probably four o’clock.)

Quanti anni avrà Luigi? Avrà ventitré anni. (How old can Louis be? He is probably twenty-three.)



♦ Forming the Future Tense 

Italian uses only one word to express the future, while English uses two words: will or shall + the infinitive of a verb.

  Regular Verbs Ending in -are – ere – ire

The future tense regular verbs are formed by changing the infinitive ending –are – ere – ire to obtain the root for the future tense.

PARLARE

root -> PARL

Parlerò

Parlerai

Parlerà

Parleremo

Parlerete

Parleranno

PRENDERE

root -> PREND-

Prenderò

Prenderai

Prenderà

Prenderemo

Prenderete

Prenderanno

SENTIRE

root -> SENT-

Sentirò

Sentirai

Sentirà

Sentiremo

Sentirete

Sentiranno

parlare - prendere - semtire The Future Tense in Italian – How to Form and Use It

 Irregular Verbs

Verbs that lose the E or the A

ANDARE

root -> AND

And

Andrai

And

Andremo

Andrete

Andranno

CADERE

root -> CAD-

Cad

Cadrai

Cad

Cadremo

Cadrete

Cadranno

DOVERE

root -> DOV-

Dov

Dovrai

Dov

Dovremo

Dovrete

Dovranno

andare cadere dovere The Future Tense in Italian – How to Form and Use It

SAPERE

root -> SAP

Sap

Saprai

Sap

Sapremo

Saprete

Sapranno

VEDERE

root -> VED-

Ved

Vedrai

Ved

Vedremo

Vedrete

Vedranno

VIVERE

root -> VIV-

Viv

Vivrai

Viv

Vivremo

Vivrete

Vivranno

sapere vedere vivere The Future Tense in Italian – How to Form and Use It

 Verbs with double RR

BERE

root -> BER

Ber

Berrai

Ber

Berremo

Berrete

Berranno

RIMANERE

root -> RIMAR-

Rimar

Rimarrai

Rimar

Rimarremo

Rimarrete

Rimarranno

TENERE

root -> TER-

Ter

Terrai

Ter

Terremo

Terrete

Terranno

bere rimanere tenere

TRADURRE

root -> TRADUR

Tradur

Tradurrai

Tradur

Tradurremo

Tradurrete

Tradurranno

VENIRE

root -> VENIR-

Ver

Verrai

Ver

Verremo

Verrete

Verranno

VOLERE

root -> VOR-

Vor

Vorrai

Vor

Vorremo

Vorrete

Vorranno

tradurre venire volere The Future Tense in Italian – How to Form and Use It

 Verbs that keep the A

DARE

root -> DA

Da

Darai

Da

Daremo

Darete

Daranno

FARE

root -> FA-

Fa

Farai

Fa

Faremo

Farete

Faranno

STARE

root -> STA-

Sta

Starai

Sta

Staremo

Starete

Staranno

dare fare stare The Future Tense in Italian – How to Form and Use It

Future of Auxiliary verbs

AVERE

root -> AV

Av

Avrai

Av

Avremo

Avrete

Avranno

ESSERE

root -> SA-

Sa

Sarai

Sa

Saremo

Sarete

Saranno

avere essere The Future Tense in Italian – How to Form and Use It

ITALIAN FUTURE
vs
ENGLISH FUTURE

• Future actions
• Anticipation
• Promises
• Assumptions

ITALIANO
FUTURO SEMPLICE

L’anno prossimo farò un viaggio in Europa

ENGLISH
FUTURE WITH WILL

Next year I’ll go on a long journey


• Future action already planned that undoubtedly will occur

ITALIANO
FUTURO SEMPLICE

Partirò sabato.

ENGLISH
TO BE + ING

I’m leaving on Saturday.

• A program decided but not still defined

• One purpose

ITALIANO
FUTURO SEMPLICE

Andrò all’università l’anno prossimo

ENGLISH
TO BE GOING TO

I’m going to go to university next year.

The Future Tense in Italian – How to Form and Use It
The Future Tense in Italian – How to Form and Use It
The Future Tense in Italian – How to Form and Use It

practice makes progress

Take the quiz on a song called “Io vivrò” from Lucio Battisti that will help you practice the future tense.

Listen to the song then do the activity


Take the quiz on a song called “La donna cannone” from Francesco de Gregori that will help you practice the future tense.

Listen to the song then do the activity.


What’s next?

You might want to keep learning Italian online with these free resources:

Italian subject personal pronouns

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