 | Chapter 23 - Verbs - The Future |
|---|
General Information:
The future tense in Somali is used to describe actions that will happen in the future.
To form this tense, the verb is taken in the "infinitive" form (actually a conjugated form of the infinitive) followed by the auxiliary DOON conjugated in the present simple.
This construction of the future tense with an auxiliary is quite similar to English, except here the auxiliary follows the verb instead of preceding it!
Examples: Verb tegid (= to go) -> Waan tegi doonaa = I will go; Verb keenid (= to bring) -> Waan keeni doonaa = I will bring.
| Formation of the Future | ||
|---|---|---|
| Conjugated Infinitive Verb | doon | -aa |
| doon | -taa | |
| doon | -aa | |
| doon | -taa | |
| doon | -naa | |
| doon | -taan | |
| doon | -aan | |
Explanation of the "conjugated" form of the infinitive:
Dictionaries and vocabularies present the ROOT of verbs. But these verbs have an infinitive form. Many verbs have the ending -id in the infinitive. The "conjugated" form of the infinitive simply involves removing the final -d, or adding -i to the verbal root.
Examples:
| Infinitive | Root / Imperative | Conjugated Infinitive | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bixid | bax | bixi | to go out |
| Cabid | cab | cabi | to drink |
| Ciyaarid | ciyaar | ciyaari | to play |
| Cunid | cun | cuni | to eat |
| Furid | fur | furi | to open |
| Gelid | gal | geli | to enter |
| Hadlid | hadal | hadli | to speak |
| Qorid | qor | qori | to write |
| Sugid | sug | sugi | to wait |
| Tegid | tag | tegi | to go |
Conjugation of the verb "keenid" (= to bring) in the future:
| (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waan | keeni | doon- | -aa | I will bring |
| Waad | keeni | doon- | -taa | You will bring |
| Wuu | keeni | doon- | -aa | He will bring |
| Way | keeni | doon- | -taa | She will bring |
| Waynu | keeni | doon- | -naa | We will bring (inclusive) |
| Waannu | keeni | doon- | -naa | We will bring (exclusive) |
| Waydiin | keeni | doon- | -taan | You will bring |
| Way | keeni | doon- | -aan | They will bring |
- Waan / waad / wuu / way / waynuu / waannu / waydiin / way is the verbal subject pronoun.
- keeni is the infinitive form adapted from the verb keenid = to bring;
- doon- is the auxiliary;
- -aa / -taa / -naa / -taan / -aan is the ending corresponding to the person.
- Translation.
Conjugation of the verb "safeyn" (= to do) in the future tense:
| (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waan | safeyn | doon- | -aa | I will do |
| Waad | safeyn | doon- | -taa | You will do |
| Wuu | safeyn | doon- | -aa | He will do |
| Way | safeyn | doon- | -taa | She will do |
| Waynu | safeyn | doon- | -naa | We will do (inclusive) |
| Waannu | safeyn | doon- | -naa | We will do (exclusive) |
| Waydiin | safeyn | doon- | -taan | You will do |
| Way | safeyn | doon- | -aan | They will do |
- Waan / waad / wuu / way / waynuu / waannu / waydiin / way is the verbal subject pronoun.
- safeyn is the infinitive form adapted from the verb safeyn = to do;
- doon- is the auxiliary;
- -aa / -taa / -naa / -taan / -aan is the ending corresponding to the person.
- Translation.
Some examples:
Verb akhris (= to read). Waan akhri doonaa = I will read.
Verb akhris (= to read). Waynu akhri doonna = we will read.
Verb cunid (= to eat). Maxamed wuu cuni doonaa = Mohamed will eat.
Verb cunid (= to eat). Maxamed iyo Cali way cuni doonaan = Mohamed and Ali will eat.
Verb dhisid (= to build). Guriga way dhisi doonaan = they will build the house.
Verb dhisid (= to build). Guriga waad dhisi doonta = you will build the house.
Verb cabid (= to drink). Galas caano iyo timira waan cabi doona = I will drink a glass of milk with dates.
Verb cabid (= to drink). Galas caano iyo timira way cabi doonta = she will drink a glass of milk with dates.
Negative Future Tense:
The Negative Future Tense is formed with the negation MA followed by the infinitive conjugated verb and the auxiliary DOON in the forms of the Negative Present General.
| Formation of Negative Future Tense | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ma | Infinitive Conjugated Verb | doon | -o |
| doon | -tid | ||
| doon | -o | ||
| doon | -to | ||
| doon | -no | ||
| doon | -taan | ||
| doon | -aan | ||
Some examples:
Verb sugid (= to wait). Ma sugi doono = I will not wait / he will not wait.
Verb sugid (= to wait). Ma sugi doonto = she will not wait.
Verb karin (= to cook). Ma karin doonno = we will not cook.
Verb joogsan (= to stop). Ma joogsan doonaan = they will not stop.
| Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | Table of Contents |
|---|