Language/Yue-chinese/Grammar/Future-Tense
Hi Yue Chinese learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about the future tense in Yue Chinese grammar. Understanding the grammar of a language is crucial for speaking and writing it correctly. It allows you to convey your message effectively and be understood by native speakers. Don't hesitate to practice what you learn with native speakers! You can find them on Polyglot Club and ask them any questions.
Introduction[edit | edit source]
Before we dive into the future tense, let's first review what a tense is. A tense is a grammatical category that indicates the time when an action or state happens. The Yue Chinese language has three tenses: past, present and future. In this lesson, we will focus on the future tense.
With the completion of this lesson, consider investigating these related pages: Pronouns & Personal Pronouns.
The Future Tense[edit | edit source]
The future tense in Yue Chinese is very easy to form. To form the future tense, you just need to add the word "去" (heoi3) before the verb. "去" (heoi3) means "going to".
Examples[edit | edit source]
Let's look at some examples to see how the future tense is formed in Yue Chinese.
| Yue Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我去學中文。 | ngo5 heoi3 hok6 zung1 man4. | I am going to learn Chinese. |
| 你去食咗晚飯未呀？ | nei5 heoi3 sik6 zo2 maan5 faan6 mei6 aa3? | Are you going to have dinner yet? |
| 佢去打籃球。 | keoi5 heoi3 daa2 laam4 kau4. | He is going to play basketball. |
As you can see in the examples, adding "去" (heoi3) before the verb indicates that the action will happen in the future.
The Near Future Tense[edit | edit source]
In Yue Chinese, there is also a near future tense. It is used when the action is going to happen soon.
To form the near future tense, you add "就" (zau6) before the verb. "就" (zau6) means "about to" or "just about to".
Examples[edit | edit source]
Let's look at some examples to see how the near future tense is formed in Yue Chinese.
| Yue Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我就嚟啦。 | ngo5 zau6 lei4 laa1. | I am coming soon. |
| 我就食飯啦。 | ngo5 zau6 sik6 faan6 laa1. | I am about to have dinner. |
| 佢就走啦。 | keoi5 zau6 zau2 laa1. | He is about to leave. |
In the near future tense, "就" (zau6) indicates that the action is imminent or happening soon.
Using Tomorrow with the Future Tense[edit | edit source]
In Yue Chinese, when you want to specify that the action will happen tomorrow, you can add "聽日" (ting1 jat6) before "去" (heoi3). "聽日" (ting1 jat6) means "tomorrow".
Examples[edit | edit source]
Let's look at some examples to see how "聽日" (ting1 jat6) is used with the future tense.
| Yue Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我聽日去食海鮮。 | ngo5 ting1 jat6 heoi3 sik6 hoi2 sin1. | I am going to have seafood tomorrow. |
| 你聽日去邊呀？ | nei5 ting1 jat6 heoi3 bin1 aa3? | Where are you going tomorrow? |
Using the Future Tense with Time Expressions[edit | edit source]
In Yue Chinese, you can use time expressions to indicate when the action will happen in the future. Here are some examples:
- 下個星期 (haa6 go3 sing1 jat1): next week
- 下個月 (haa6 go3 jyut6): next month
- 下年 (haa6 nin4): next year
Examples[edit | edit source]
Let's look at some examples to see how time expressions are used with the future tense.
| Yue Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我下個星期去旅行。 | ngo5 haa6 go3 sing1 jat1 heoi3 leoi5 hang4. | I am going to travel next week. |
| 佢下個月搬咗屋。 | keoi5 haa6 go3 jyut6 bun1 zo2 uk1. | He is going to move next month. |
Dialogue[edit | edit source]
To see the future tense in action, let's look at a dialogue between two friends:
- Person 1: 聽日我去睇戲。（ting1 jat6 ngo5 heoi3 tai2 hei3）(Tomorrow, I am going to watch a movie.)
- Person 2: 你去邊啊？（nei5 heoi3 bin1 aa3?）(Where are you going?)
- Person 1: 我去戲院啊。（ngo5 heoi3 hei3 jyun2 aa3）(I am going to the cinema.)
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
Well done! You have learned how to form the future tense in Yue Chinese grammar. Remember that to use it correctly, you just need to add "去" (heoi3) before the verb. Practice using the future tense with time expressions and the near future tense with "就" (zau6) so that you can express future actions more accurately. If you want to improve your Yue Chinese Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!
➡ 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]
Now that you've completed this lesson, don't stop learning! Check out these related topics: Describing Actions & Comprehensive Review.
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- How to Use Be
- Questions
- Conditional Mood
- Adjectives
- Nouns
- How to Use Have
- Pronouns
- Plurals
- Give your Opinion