12. The Future Tense
The future tense (עָתִיד – atid) is formed with prefixes: the person is shown by a letter at the beginning of the word. The prefixes are the same for all binyanim, but the stem depends on the binyan and on the type of root. The future is needed for more than plans: it also expresses requests and commands (chapter 13) and is used after “if” and “when”.
The future-tense prefixes
| Person | Prefix + ending | Example: לִכְתֹּב | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | אֶ־ (e-) | אֶכְתֹּב (echtov) | I will write |
| you (m) | תִּ־ (ti-) | תִּכְתֹּב (tichtov) | you will write |
| you (f) | תִּ־ ־ִי (ti- -i) | תִּכְתְּבִי (tichtevi) | you will write |
| he | יִ־ (yi-) | יִכְתֹּב (yichtov) | he will write |
| she | תִּ־ (ti-) | תִּכְתֹּב (tichtov) | she will write |
| we | נִ־ (ni-) | נִכְתֹּב (nichtov) | we will write |
| you (pl) | תִּ־ ־וּ (ti- -u) | תִּכְתְּבוּ (tichtevu) | you will write |
| they | יִ־ ־וּ (yi- -u) | יִכְתְּבוּ (yichtevu) | they will write |
Two coincidences to keep in mind: “you” (m) and “she” are one form (תִּכְתֹּב), and “you (pl)” and “you (f)” differ only in the ending (-u / -i). The feminine plural forms (תִּכְתֹּבְנָה) are not used in speech: both men and women are addressed with תִּכְתְּבוּ.
Pa’al: two types of stem
Regular pa’al verbs form the future either with “o” (אֶכְתֹּב) or with “a” (אֶלְמַד). The “a” type is usual for roots whose second or third letter is guttural (ח, ע, ה, א) and for a few common verbs.
| Person | לִסְגֹּר (to close), “o” type | לִלְמֹד (to learn), “a” type | לִשְׁמֹעַ (to hear), “a” type |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | אֶסְגֹּר (esgor) | אֶלְמַד (elmad) | אֶשְׁמַע (eshma) |
| you (m) / she | תִּסְגֹּר (tisgor) | תִּלְמַד (tilmad) | תִּשְׁמַע (tishma) |
| you (f) | תִּסְגְּרִי (tisgeri) | תִּלְמְדִי (tilmedi) | תִּשְׁמְעִי (tishme’i) |
| he | יִסְגֹּר (yisgor) | יִלְמַד (yilmad) | יִשְׁמַע (yishma) |
| we | נִסְגֹּר (nisgor) | נִלְמַד (nilmad) | נִשְׁמַע (nishma) |
| you (pl) | תִּסְגְּרוּ (tisgeru) | תִּלְמְדוּ (tilmedu) | תִּשְׁמְעוּ (tishme’u) |
| they | יִסְגְּרוּ (yisgeru) | יִלְמְדוּ (yilmedu) | יִשְׁמְעוּ (yishme’u) |
Common “a”-type verbs: לִלְמֹד → יִלְמַד (to learn), לִשְׁמֹעַ → יִשְׁמַע (to hear), לִפְתֹּחַ → יִפְתַּח (to open), לִשְׁלֹחַ → יִשְׁלַח (to send), לִשְׁאֹל → יִשְׁאַל (to ask), לִשְׁכֹּחַ → יִשְׁכַּח (to forget), לִלְבֹּשׁ → יִלְבַּשׁ (to put on), לִגְדֹּל → יִגְדַּל (to grow).
Pi’el, hif’il, hitpa’el
| Person | pi’el: לְדַבֵּר | hif’il: לְהַרְגִּישׁ | hitpa’el: לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | אֲדַבֵּר (adaber) | אַרְגִּישׁ (argish) | אֶתְלַבֵּשׁ (etlabesh) |
| you (m) / she | תְּדַבֵּר (tedaber) | תַּרְגִּישׁ (targish) | תִּתְלַבֵּשׁ (titlabesh) |
| you (f) | תְּדַבְּרִי (tedabri) | תַּרְגִּישִׁי (targishi) | תִּתְלַבְּשִׁי (titlabshi) |
| he | יְדַבֵּר (yedaber) | יַרְגִּישׁ (yargish) | יִתְלַבֵּשׁ (yitlabesh) |
| we | נְדַבֵּר (nedaber) | נַרְגִּישׁ (nargish) | נִתְלַבֵּשׁ (nitlabesh) |
| you (pl) | תְּדַבְּרוּ (tedabru) | תַּרְגִּישׁוּ (targishu) | תִּתְלַבְּשׁוּ (titlabshu) |
| they | יְדַבְּרוּ (yedabru) | יַרְגִּישׁוּ (yargishu) | יִתְלַבְּשׁוּ (yitlabshu) |
Marks: pi’el has a prefix with a shva and the stem “a-e” (yedaber), hif’il has a prefix with “a” and an “i” in the stem (yargish), hitpa’el has a ת after the prefix (yitlabesh). The infinitives of pi’el and hif’il predict the future: לְדַבֵּר → יְדַבֵּר, לְהַרְגִּישׁ → יַרְגִּישׁ – just replace לְ / לְהַ with the prefix.
- מָחָר אֲדַבֵּר עִם הַמְּנַהֵל – Tomorrow I will talk to the manager.
- הֵם יַתְחִילוּ בְּתֵשַׁע – They will start at nine.
- אַתְּ תַּרְגִּישִׁי יוֹתֵר טוֹב – You will feel better.
- אֲנַחְנוּ נִתְקַשֵּׁר אֲלֵיכֶם – We will call you.
Irregular verbs in the future
Three groups of roots change the shape of the stem. The prefixes stay the same.
| Group | I | you (m) / she | he | they |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| roots ending in ה: לִקְנוֹת (to buy), also לִרְאוֹת, לִשְׁתּוֹת, לִרְצוֹת, לַעֲשׂוֹת | אֶקְנֶה (ekne) | תִּקְנֶה (tikne) | יִקְנֶה (yikne) | יִקְנוּ (yiknu) |
| two-letter roots: לָגוּר (to live), also לָקוּם, לָרוּץ, לָטוּס | אָגוּר (agur) | תָּגוּר (tagur) | יָגוּר (yagur) | יָגוּרוּ (yaguru) |
| two-letter roots with “i”: לָשִׁיר (to sing), לָשִׂים (to put) | אָשִׁיר (ashir) | תָּשִׁיר (tashir) | יָשִׁיר (yashir) | יָשִׁירוּ (yashiru) |
| roots beginning with י: לָשֶׁבֶת (to sit), also לָרֶדֶת, לָדַעַת, לָצֵאת, לָלֶכֶת | אֵשֵׁב (eshev) | תֵּשֵׁב (teshev) | יֵשֵׁב (yeshev) | יֵשְׁבוּ (yeshvu) |
| roots beginning with נ: לִנְסֹעַ (to travel), also לִפֹּל (to fall), לִנְגֹּעַ (to touch) | אֶסַּע (esa) | תִּסַּע (tisa) | יִסַּע (yisa) | יִסְּעוּ (yis’u) |
Roots ending in ה end in ־ֶה in the future; in roots beginning with י the first letter disappears and the prefix takes “e”; in roots beginning with נ the nun disappears and the next letter is doubled.
Six verbs to know by heart
| Verb | I | you (m) / she | he | we | they |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| לִהְיוֹת (to be) | אֶהְיֶה (ehye) | תִּהְיֶה (tihye) | יִהְיֶה (yihye) | נִהְיֶה (nihye) | יִהְיוּ (yihyu) |
| לָלֶכֶת (to go) | אֵלֵךְ (elech) | תֵּלֵךְ (telech) | יֵלֵךְ (yelech) | נֵלֵךְ (nelech) | יֵלְכוּ (yelchu) |
| לָבוֹא (to come) | אָבוֹא (avo) | תָּבוֹא (tavo) | יָבוֹא (yavo) | נָבוֹא (navo) | יָבוֹאוּ (yavo’u) |
| לָתֵת (to give) | אֶתֵּן (eten) | תִּתֵּן (titen) | יִתֵּן (yiten) | נִתֵּן (niten) | יִתְּנוּ (yitnu) |
| לָקַחַת (to take) | אֶקַּח (ekach) | תִּקַּח (tikach) | יִקַּח (yikach) | נִקַּח (nikach) | יִקְּחוּ (yikchu) |
| יָכוֹל (can) | אוּכַל (uchal) | תּוּכַל (tuchal) | יוּכַל (yuchal) | נוּכַל (nuchal) | יוּכְלוּ (yuchlu) |
- מָחָר יִהְיֶה חַם (machar yihye cham) – Tomorrow it will be hot.
- יִהְיֶה לָנוּ זְמַן – We will have time.
- אֲנִי אָבוֹא בְּשֶׁבַע – I will come at seven.
- נֵלֵךְ לַיָּם בְּשַׁבָּת – We will go to the beach on Saturday.
- לֹא אוּכַל לָבוֹא – I won’t be able to come.
When the future tense is used
- Plans and promises: אֶכְתֹּב לְךָ מָחָר – I will write to you tomorrow.
- After אִם (if) and כְּשֶׁ (when) about the future, where English uses the present: אִם יִהְיֶה לִי זְמַן, אָבוֹא – If I have time, I will come; כְּשֶׁאַגִּיעַ, אֶתְקַשֵּׁר – When I arrive, I will call.
- After כְּדֵי שֶׁ (so that): כְּדֵי שֶׁתָּבִין – so that you understand.
- Requests and commands instead of the imperative: תָּבוֹא! – Come! תִּסְגֹּר אֶת הַדֶּלֶת – Close the door (chapter 13).
- Prohibitions always use the future: אַל תִּדְאַג – Don’t worry.
Negation in the future is the ordinary לֹא: לֹא אֶהְיֶה בַּבַּיִת – I won’t be at home. Companion words of the future: מָחָר – tomorrow, בְּעוֹד שָׁעָה – in an hour, בַּשָּׁבוּעַ הַבָּא – next week, בְּקָרוֹב – soon, אוּלַי – maybe.
What to remember
- Prefixes: אֶ־ / תִּ־ / יִ־ / נִ־ + the endings ־ִי (you, f) and ־וּ (you pl, they).
- “You” (m) and “she” coincide: תִּכְתֹּב.
- Pa’al: אֶכְתֹּב or אֶלְמַד; pi’el אֲדַבֵּר; hif’il אַרְגִּישׁ; hitpa’el אֶתְלַבֵּשׁ.
- Six special verbs: יִהְיֶה, יֵלֵךְ, יָבוֹא, יִתֵּן, יִקַּח, יוּכַל.
- The “Future tense” trainer in the app drills these forms; full tables are in the Tables section.
Practise this in the app. In Shoresh every textbook topic comes with trainers: verb conjugation, tenses, binyanim, the imperative and choosing the right word in a sentence.
