Future Tense Marker 'sẽ'

01

Basic Usage

The structure is straightforward: Subject + sẽ + Verb. This pattern is used to express a decision, a promise, or a prediction about the future.

• Tôi sẽ đi Việt Nam vào năm sau.

  I will go to Vietnam next year.

• Cô ấy sẽ mua một cái nhà mới.

  She will buy a new house.

• Chúng tôi sẽ làm việc đó.

  We will do that.

02

Omitting 'Sẽ' in Conversation

Vietnamese relies heavily on context. If the sentence already contains a specific time indicator pointing to the future (such as "tomorrow", "next week", or "later"), sẽ is frequently omitted in casual conversation.

However, keeping sẽ in the sentence adds emphasis to the certainty of the action or makes the statement sound more formal.

• Ngày mai tôi đi học.

  Tomorrow I go to school. (Casual, sẽ omitted)

• Ngày mai tôi sẽ đi học.

  Tomorrow I will go to school. (Emphasized or formal)

03

Negative Future

To say that something "will not" happen, place the negative marker không after sẽ. The structure becomes: sẽ + không + Verb.

• Trời sẽ không mưa đâu.

  It will not rain.

• Tôi sẽ không bao giờ quên bạn.

  I will never forget you.

04

Difference between 'Sẽ' and 'Sắp'

While sẽ is the general marker for the future, the particle sắp is used for the immediate future, meaning "about to" or "soon". Use sắp when an action is imminent.

• Tôi sẽ đi ngủ.

  I will go to sleep. (General future plan)

• Tôi sắp đi ngủ.

  I am about to go to sleep. (Immediate action)