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The future: will do

The tense sign -bi- for the first two conjugations.

LatinIntermediate Latin · Verbs: the present systemAbout 3 min: 1 reading, 2 practiceUpdated

After this lesson you can
  • Form the future of amō and moneō
  • See how it matches the future of sum
  • Tell future -bi- from imperfect -bā-
Latin Level 2: verbs and the other declensions: lesson 4 of 35
  1. Intermediate Latin · Verbs: the present system
  2. sum: I am, I was, I shall be 3 min
  3. The present of amō and moneō 4 min
  4. The imperfect: was doing 4 min
  5. The future: will do 3 min
  6. The dative with adjectives 3 min
  7. The present of regō and audiō 4 min
  8. The imperfect of regō and audiō, and verbs that take the dative 3 min
  9. The future of regō and audiō 3 min
  10. capiō, and giving orders 3 min
  11. Intermediate Latin · The passive voice
  12. The passive: being done to 3 min
  13. The passive of regō, audiō and capiō; passive infinitives 3 min
  14. Synopses, and the ablative of "from" 3 min
  15. Intermediate Latin · The perfect tenses
  16. fuī, fueram, fuerō: the perfect tenses of sum 3 min
  17. The perfect active: did, have done 5 min
  18. Had done, will have done: pluperfect and future perfect active 3 min
  19. amātus sum: the perfect passive 4 min
  20. Principal parts, prepositions, and yes-or-no questions 5 min
  21. possum, "I can", and the infinitive 3 min
  22. Intermediate Latin · Pronouns
  23. quī, quae, quod: who, which, that 4 min
  24. Intermediate Latin · The third declension
  25. rēx, rēgis: the third declension 4 min
  26. hostis, urbs, mare: i-stems 4 min
  27. vīs and iter; gender in the third declension 4 min
  28. omnis, ācer, pār: third-declension adjectives 3 min
  29. Intermediate Latin · The fourth and fifth declensions
  30. manus, cornū: the fourth declension 3 min
  31. Rōmae, domī, Athēnīs: place and the locative 4 min
  32. diēs, rēs: the fifth declension and the ablative of time 3 min
  33. Intermediate Latin · Pronouns
  34. ego, tū, sē: personal and reflexive pronouns 4 min
  35. ipse, "himself", and īdem, "the same" 3 min
  36. hic, iste, ille: this and that 4 min
  37. aliquis, quīdam, quisque: someone, a certain, each 3 min
  38. Intermediate Latin · Comparison
  39. clārior, clārissimus: comparing adjectives 4 min
  40. melior, optimus: irregular comparison, plūs, and "by how much" 3 min
  41. clārē, fortiter: adverbs and their comparison 4 min
  42. Intermediate Latin · Numerals
  43. ūnus, duo, trēs: numerals, "of" the whole, and "for how long" 5 min
  44. Intermediate Latin · Deponent verbs
  45. hortor, sequor: deponent verbs 3 min

Try first

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Pairs with D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners (Ginn, 1909), Lesson XXI ("Future Active Indicative of amō and moneō"), §§ 137–138

What it is

The future of the first two conjugations uses the tense sign -bi-, which becomes -b- before -ō and -bu- before -nt:

amōmoneō
I shallamābōmonēbō
you willamābismonēbis
he willamābitmonēbit
we shallamābimusmonēbimus
you (pl.) willamābitismonēbitis
they willamābuntmonēbunt

The endings after -b- match the future of sum: erō, eris, erit, erimus, eritis, erunt.

Quick check

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  1. What does portābunt mean?

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    they will carry. -bu- before -nt marks the future.

Why it matters

With the present, imperfect and future you can now talk about now, then and later for most common verbs. The look-alike pair -bā- / -bi- is the key to telling past from future.

Worked example

  • Crās agricolae frūmentum portābunt. → Tomorrow the farmers will carry the grain.
  • Mox oppidum vidēbō. → I shall soon see the town.
  • Magister puerōs monēbit. → The teacher will warn the boys.

Common mistake

Confusing -bant (imperfect: were) and -bunt (future: will). One vowel changes the time: vocābant they were calling, vocābunt they will call.

Key terms

future
will do, shall do
-bi-
the future tense sign in the 1st and 2nd conjugations
crās
tomorrow
moneō, monēre
advise, warn

Practise the key terms

Tap a card to turn it over. 4 cards.

FrontBack
futurewill do, shall do
-bi-the future tense sign in the 1st and 2nd conjugations
crāstomorrow
moneō, monēreadvise, warn

Practice

Sort it

Imperfect or future?

  1. laudābat

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    Imperfect. -bā-: was praising.

  2. laudābit

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    Future. -bi-: will praise.

  3. vidēbunt

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    Future. -bu-nt: will see.

  4. vidēbant

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    Imperfect. -ba-nt: were seeing.

  5. monēbō

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    Future. -bō: I shall advise.

  6. monēbam

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    Imperfect. -bam: I was advising.

Quick quiz

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  1. "We shall prepare"

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    parābimus. parā- + bi + mus.

  2. "I shall have"

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    habēbō. -bō: first person future.

Practise speaking

Studyfern has no voice tools of its own. To practise out loud, copy this prompt into a voice-capable AI assistant and talk with it.

You are a patient Latin tutor. Use the classical pronunciation only, never the Church one: c is always k, g is always hard, v sounds like w, ae like the ai in aisle, and long vowels are held longer. Speak slowly. Use only these Latin words: amō, moneō, laudō, portō, videō, crās. Give me an English phrase like 'tomorrow we shall praise' or 'they will see', and I will say the future in Latin. Do 10 forms. After each answer, tell me what kind of mistake I made, if any, and let me try again, then tell me one thing to improve. Keep every reply under 2 sentences. If I need a name or a town, I will make one up. Speak English except for the Latin itself.

Listen too. Listen to native speakers before and after: see the free listening and shadowing links.

Good to know. AI feedback on pronunciation is hit and miss, so check yourself against native recordings. This course teaches the classical pronunciation (see lesson 1); AI voices may mix it with the Church (Italian-style) one, so ask for classical and check against lesson 1. Don't share personal details: use a made-up name and town.

New to this? Read Practising speaking with an AI.

In short

  • Future = stem + -bi- + ending: amābō, amābis, amābit, amābimus, amābitis, amābunt.
  • Endings match erō, eris, erit.
  • -bā- = past (imperfect); -bi-/-bu- = future.

Mastery check

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Check yourself

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  1. Give "you (pl.) will see".

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    vidēbitis.

  2. Translate Rēgīna fīliās vocābit.

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    The queen will call her daughters.

  3. Which is future: nārrābant or nārrābunt?

    Show answer

    nārrābunt.

Further reading

  • D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners, Lesson XXI, §§ 137–138. Public domain; Project Gutenberg.