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🕒 How do we Express the Future in Japanese?


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vincent profile picture vincentMarch 2023

In Japanese, there are several ways to express the future tense. Let’s take a look at some of the most common ways:

The present tense with a time expression
One way to express the future in Japanese is by using the present tense with a time expression. For example, if you want to say ”I will go to the store tomorrow,” you can say ”明日、私は店に行く” (ashita, watashi wa mise ni iku). In this case, the time expression ”tomorrow” indicates that the action will take place in the future.


The ~よう form
The ~よう form is used to express intention or prediction. To create the ~よう form, you add よう to the stem of a verb. For example, ”行く” (iku) becomes ”行こう” (ikou) in the ~よう form. To indicate the future tense, you can add a time expression, such as ”明日行こう” (ashita ikou) which means ”let’s go tomorrow.”

The ~つもり form
The ~つもり form is used to express intention or plan. To create the ~つもり form, you add つもり to the stem of a verb. For example, ”行く” (iku) becomes ”行くつもり” (iku tsumori) in the ~つもり form. To indicate the future tense, you can add a time expression, such as ”明日行くつもり” (ashita iku tsumori) which means ”I plan to go tomorrow.”

The ~ている form
The ~ている form is used to express ongoing actions, but it can also be used to express future plans or arrangements. For example, if someone asks you if you want to go to the movies next week, you can say ”はい、来週映画を見ている” (hai, raishuu eiga o miteiru) which means ”Yes, I will be watching a movie next week.”

The ~ましょう form
The ~ましょう form is used to make suggestions or invitations, and it can also be used to express future plans. To create the ~ましょう form, you add ましょう to the stem of a verb. For example, ”行く” (iku) becomes ”行きましょう” (ikimashou) in the ~ましょう form. To indicate the future tense, you can add a time expression, such as ”明日行きましょう” (ashita ikimashou) which means ”Let’s go tomorrow.”

In summary, Japanese has several ways to express the future tense, including using the present tense with a time expression, the ~よう form, the ~つもり form, the ~ている form, and the ~ましょう form. By learning these different forms, you can more effectively communicate your future plans and intentions in Japanese.

sora profile picture soraJune 2022
I am not a linguist, so this is my thought.
The present tense is used for both present and feature events EXCEPT for uncertain events.
For example:
(私は)去年結婚した。(I married last year.)
(私は)結婚する。 (I marry. No date specified.)
(私は)明日結婚する。 (I marry tomorrow.)
(私は)2年後に結婚する。 (I marry 2 years later.)
(私は)30歳までに結婚するでしょう。 (I will probably marry before I am 30-years old. Uncertain.)
Hiro-rin profile picture Hiro-rinJune 2022
’Mirai’ or ’Sho-rai’ is good word in Japanese.