Language/Amharic/Grammar/Using-the-Future-Tense
As a seasoned Amharic language teacher, I am delighted to delve into the intermediete level of the course and share with you some insights into using the future tense of verbs in Amharic. In this lesson, you will learn the basics of how to correctly form and use the future tense.
Understanding the Future Tense
In Amharic, the future tense describes an action or event that will take place after the moment of speaking. To form the future tense in Amharic, you need to take the infinitive (stem) form of a verb and add the appropriate suffix based on the subject pronoun. Here is an example of the future tense with the verb "to eat":
| Amharic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| እንደገና እመልስ | endegäna emeles | I will eat |
| እንደገና እመልስ። | endegäna emeles. | You will eat. |
| እንደገና እመልስ። | endegäna emeles. | He/She/They will eat. |
You may have noticed that the suffix for the different subject pronouns varies slightly. This is because in Amharic, the suffixes also have a gender component, so the suffix for the third person singular (he/she/it) will differ from the suffix for the third person plural (they).
Forming the Future Tense
Let's take a closer look at how to form the future tense in Amharic. First, you need to identify the infinitive (stem) form of the verb. This is the form of the verb you would find in a dictionary, and it usually ends in the letter "-u". Here are some examples:
- ስልጣን (siltan) - to talk
- ይበልጥ (yebelti) - to study
- ለታ (leta) - to see
Next, you need to add the appropriate suffix based on the subject pronoun. Here are the future tense suffixes for each subject pronoun in Amharic:
- እኔ (ene) - -mäles
- አንተ (ante) - -meles
- ስንት (sint) - -ales
- እንዲሁም (endihum) / ስለሁም (selhum) - -mu/mi/mew
- የሚተላለፍ (yemitalelaf) - -u/yew/yew
Here are some examples of how to form the future tense with different verbs and subject pronouns:
- ስልጣን (siltan) - to talk: እኔ ስልጣን እመልስ (ene siltan emeles) - I will talk
- ይበልጥ (yebelti) - to study: ስንት ይበልጥ እመልስ (sint yebelti emeles) - You will study
- ለታ (leta) - to see: እንዲሁም ለታ ይመልስ (endihum leta yemelis) - They will see
Notice that some of the suffixes undergo some changes based on the verb form. These changes include dropping a vowel (e.g. "lete" becomes "let"), or adding a consonant (e.g. "sint" becomes "sal").
Irregular Verbs in the Future Tense
As with many other languages, Amharic has some irregular verbs that do not follow the regular future tense rules. Here are some examples:
- አስተያየት (astiyäyat) - to plan: እኔ አስተያየት እመልስ (ene astiyäyat emeles) - I will plan
- ጥሩ (turu) - to pass: ስንት ጥሩ እመልስ (sint turu emeles) - You will pass
These verbs do not follow the typical rules for forming the future tense, and must be memorized as individual exceptions.
Using the Future Tense in Sentences
Now that you know how to form the future tense in Amharic, it's time to learn how to use it in sentences. Here are some example sentences using the future tense:
- በአንድ ቀን አጥፍቶኛል (be’and k’en at’eftoñal) - They will arrive in one day
- የተሻለ ሁለት ወንዶች ይህን ልጆች አውርደው እንዳያየው ስለሆነ ስልጣን ይመልሳሉ (yetashëla huleta w’endoch yihen lijocho awrdew ennäyäyew seloten yememelisalu) - The two boys will visit us since they are bored
In conclusion, mastering the future tense is an essential part of fluent communication in Amharic. With regular practice, you will soon be able to form and use the future tense with ease!