Language/Slovak/Grammar/Future-Tense
Hi Slovak learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will discuss the future tense in Slovak language. It is one of the most common verb tenses that you will need to know if you wish to speak Slovak fluently. We will go through the conjugation rules and exceptions, and some cultural aspects related to it.
What is the Future Tense?[edit | edit source]
In Slovak language, the future tense is used to express an action that will happen or will be completed at some point in the future. We use it to talk about future plans, predictions, or hopes. It is one of the simpler tense forms as it doesn't have too many exceptions, but proper usage takes a lot of practice.
Conjugation Rules[edit | edit source]
To form the future tense we begin with the whole infinitive, remove the -t or -ť ending and add the following endings according to the verb type:
Verb Type | Example | Future Tense Ending |
---|---|---|
Regular Verbs | hrať (to play) | -m, -š, -me, -te, -ia, -ia |
Verbs ending in -ovať | cestovať (to travel) | -em, -eš, -eme, -ete, -ú, -ú |
Verbs ending in -ieť/-iete | bieť (to beat) | -em, -eš, -e, -ieme, -iete, -ú, -ú |
Verbs ending in -ať/-iať | robiť (to do) | -m, -š, -me, -te, -ia, -ia |
Examples[edit | edit source]
Here are some examples of how to conjugate the future tense in Slovak language:
Regular Verbs[edit | edit source]
Slovak | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
Hovoriť | [ˈho.vo.ritʲ] | will speak |
Čakať | [ˈtʃa.ka.ʨ̑] | will wait |
Vidieť | [ˈvi.djɛc] | will see |
Verbs ending in -ovať[edit | edit source]
Slovak | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
Cestovať | [ˈtse.stɔ.va.ʧ̑] | will travel |
Robiť fotografie | [ˈrɔ.bɪtʲ fo.to.ɡra.fʲɛ] | will take photos |
Znovať sa | [ˈzno.vat̪ sa] | will call back |
Verbs ending in -ieť/-iete[edit | edit source]
Slovak | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
Bieť | [ˈbɪjɛc] | will beat |
Povieť | [ˈpo.vjɛc] | will say |
Vidieť | [vɪdjɛc] | will see |
Verbs ending in -ať/-iať[edit | edit source]
Slovak | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
Robiť | [ˈrɔbɪtʲ] | will do |
Hrať sa | [ˈhrat̪ sa] | will play |
Hľadať | [ˈhl̩a.dac] | will look for |
Exceptions[edit | edit source]
Like any other tense, the future tense also has some exceptions. Here are some commonly used words and their irregular conjugation forms:
Byť (to be)[edit | edit source]
Slovak | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
Budem | [ˈbu.dɛc] | will be (I) |
Budeš | [ˈbu.dɛʃ] | will be (you-singular) |
Bude | [ˈbu.dɛ] | will be (he/she/it) |
Budeme | [ˈbu.dɛ.mɛ] | will be (we) |
Budete | [bu.ˈdɛ.tɛ] | will be (you-plural) |
Budú | [ˈbu.duː] | will be (they) |
ísť (to go)[edit | edit source]
Slovak | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
Pôjdem | [ˈpoːjdem] | will go (I) |
Pôjdeš | [ˈpoːjdeʃ] | will go (you-singular) |
Pôjde | [ˈpoːjde] | will go (he/she/it) |
Pôjdeme | [poj.ˈde.mɛ] | will go (we) |
Pôjdete | [poj.ˈde.tɛ] | will go (you-plural) |
Pôjdu | [ˈpoːjdu] | will go (they) |
Cultural aspects[edit | edit source]
Slovak culture has a long history of literature, music, theater, and film. Slovak language is an essential part of Slovak culture, and so is the way you speak it. Slovak people are mostly known for their hospitality and their willingness to help. If you struggled with using the future tense, don't hesitate to ask for help. You can always use Polyglot Club to find native speakers and ask them any questions you might have.
Dialogue[edit | edit source]
To help you understand the future tense in context, here's a simple dialogue:
- Person 1: Kedy si (ty) kúpiš nový telefón? (When will you buy a new phone?)
- Person 2: Kúpim si ho zajtra. (I will buy it tomorrow.)
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
In this lesson, we went through the conjugation rules and exceptions of the future tense in Slovak language. We also discussed some cultural aspects related to the usage of this tense. Don't forget to practice what you learned and don't be afraid to ask for help. It takes time to grasp the proper usage of verb tenses, but with patience and practice, you'll get there.
➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
Sources[edit | edit source]
- Slovak future tense | coLanguage
- Marek Hlavac - Slovak Language Lessons for Beginners - Overview
- Slovak Grammar - Future Tense
Having concluded this lesson, consider checking out these related pages: The Imperfective and Perfective & 0 to A1 Course.
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Negation
- Nouns
- Plurals
- Give your Opinion
- Pronouns
- Conditional Mood
- Adjectives
- How to Use Have
- Questions