Verbs: Future Tense

01

Future Tense with Perfective Verbs (Simple Future)

Perfective verbs describe actions that will be completed or finished in the future. These verbs do not have a present tense form. When you conjugate a perfective verb using standard person endings, it automatically creates the future tense.

This form is used for single, completed events, such as "I will buy," "I will fix," or "I will finish."

• Kupię nowy samochód.

  I will buy a new car.

• Ona do ciebie zadzwoni.

  She will call you.

• Spotkamy się w kinie.

  We will meet at the cinema.

02

Future Tense with Imperfective Verbs (Compound Future)

Imperfective verbs describe actions that will be ongoing, repeated, or habitual in the future. They focus on the duration or the process rather than the completion. To form the future tense with these verbs, you must use a compound structure involving the auxiliary verb być (to be).

There are two interchangeable ways to form the imperfective future. Both carry the exact same meaning.

Method 1: Być + Infinitive

This is the simpler method. You conjugate być in the future tense and add the infinitive of the main verb.

The future forms of być are:

• będę (I will be)
• będziesz (you will be)
• będzie (he/she/it will be)
• będziemy (we will be)
• będziecie (you all will be)
• będą (they will be)

• Będę czekać na ciebie.

  I will be waiting for you.

• Jutro będziemy pracować w domu.

  Tomorrow we will be working at home.

Method 2: Być + Past Participle

This method is frequently used in everyday speech. You combine the conjugated future form of być with the third-person past tense form of the main verb (the form ending in -ł, -ła, -ło, -li, or -ły).

Because this method uses the past participle, the verb must agree with the gender of the subject.

• Będę czytał książkę.

  I will be reading a book. (Masculine subject)

• Będę czytała książkę.

  I will be reading a book. (Feminine subject)

• Dzieci będą bawiły się w parku.

  The children will be playing in the park.

03

Choosing the Correct Aspect

The choice between the simple future (perfective) and compound future (imperfective) changes the meaning of the sentence.

Use the Perfective (Simple) when the goal is the result:

• Przeczytam tę książkę.

  I will read this book. (I will finish reading it).

Use the Imperfective (Compound) when the focus is on the time spent doing the action:

• Będę czytać tę książkę.

  I will be reading this book. (I will spend time reading it, but I might not finish it).