The future tense is the set of verb forms for what will happen. Maltese makes it the easy way: goes in front of the present tense, and the verb keeps its person letter, as always. is I play, is I'll play. The concert will start at eight. Some people say or instead of : I'll see.
The future tense: and the present
| Verb | · | Meaning | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Most verbs: n- · t- · j-, and -u in the plural | |||||||
| make, do | |||||||
| make, do | |||||||
| start | |||||||
| start | |||||||
| With an i- in front: after se the i drops, and an i- alone becomes j- | |||||||
| play (music) | |||||||
| play (music) | |||||||
| go | |||||||
| go | |||||||
and sound the same, as in every present: is you'll start, or she'll start. ends in a vowel, so the in front of a verb drops after it: , · , · , . When nothing else is left in front, it turns into : , .
The present has no word for am, is or are (), but the future needs one: , I'll be, , he'll be, it'll be. is there will be. After it, a noun for something new has no article: There'll be a strong wind, and maybe snow. Will have is , with the same endings as .
Will be, will have
| Person | Meaning | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | |||
| I'll be · I'll have | |||
| I'll be · I'll have | |||
| you'll be · you'll have | |||
| you'll be · you'll have | |||
| he'll be · he'll have | |||
| he'll be · he'll have | |||
| she'll be · she'll have | |||
| she'll be · she'll have | |||
| Plural | |||
| we'll be · we'll have | |||
| we'll be · we'll have | |||
| you'll be · you'll have | |||
| you'll be · you'll have | |||
| they'll be · they'll have | |||
| they'll be · they'll have | |||
, there'll be wind, but , the concert will be there: with the article it is a thing you already know about.
Won't is in front of : I won't go. There won't be any snow today. For a she, people say : Marija isn't coming.
Int se tieħu l-flus, u jien se nagħmel il-kafè.You'll take the money, and I'll make the coffee.
Il-kunċert se jibda fit-tmienja. Ġorġ se jdoqq l-ewwel.The concert will start at eight. Ġorġ will play first.
Iktar tard se jkun hemm riħ qawwi. U forsi borra.Later there'll be a strong wind. And maybe snow.
Borra? F'Malta? Illum mhux se jkun hemm borra.Snow? In Malta? There won't be any snow today.
Borra? F'Malta? Illum mhux se jkun hemm borra.Snow? In Malta? There won't be any snow today.
Illejla se ndoqq għalik.Tonight I'll play for you.
Practice 1/6 · Finding words
Find the words
Tap the verb after se.
, .
The concert will start at eight, and Ġorġ will play first.
, .
I'll be on the bench, and Ella will be with the children.
, .
You'll take the money, and I'll make the coffee.
.
Later there'll be a strong wind.
, .
Tonight I'll play for you, Mrs Marija.
. , ?
We'll go in front of the stage. And you two, will you go too?
. , ?
We'll go in front of the stage. And you two, will you go too?
, !
We children will start after Ġorġ, and we'll be on the stage!
, .
We'll play first, and you'll be in front of the stage.
, .
Tonight I'll have a lot of work, and you'll have the money.
, .
Ċikku will have the macaroni, and Ella will have the cake.
Practice 2/6 · The right form
Who will do it? I, you, he, she
Choose the right word for the gap.
Jien se il-kafè.
I'll make the coffee.
Lina, int se l-imqarrun ukoll?
Lina, will you make the macaroni too?
Lina, int se l-imqarrun ukoll?
Lina, will you make the macaroni too?
U Ċikku? X'se Ċikku?
And Ċikku? What will Ċikku do?
Il-kunċert se fit-tmienja.
The concert will start at eight.
Jien se bil-kanzunetta l-qadima.
I'll start with the old song.
Ella, int se tkanta wara Ġorġ.
Ella, you'll start singing after Ġorġ.
Illejla se għalik.
Tonight I'll play for you.
Ġorġ, int se l-ewwel?
Ġorġ, will you play first?
Ġorġ, int se l-ewwel?
Ġorġ, will you play first?
Ġorġ se l-ewwel.
Ġorġ will play first.
Wara l-kunċert se id-dar.
After the concert I'll go home.
Wara l-kunċert se id-dar.
After the concert I'll go home.
We, you, they: -u in the plural
Choose the right word for the gap.
Illejla aħna se imqarrun il-forn.
Tonight we'll make baked macaroni.
Intom se l-kafè?
Will you two make the coffee?
Lina u Ella se l-imqarrun il-forn.
Lina and Ella will make the baked macaroni.
Aħna se fit-tmienja.
We'll start at eight.
Intom se bil-kanzunetta l-ġdida?
Will you start with the new song?
Intom se bil-kanzunetta l-ġdida?
Will you start with the new song?
It-tfal se ikantaw wara Ġorġ.
The children will start singing after Ġorġ.
Illejla aħna se fil-festa.
Tonight we'll play at the festa.
Ġorġ, intom se fuq il-palk?
Ġorġ, will you all play on the stage?
Ġorġ u l-ħbieb tiegħu se fuq il-palk.
Ġorġ and his friends will play on the stage.
Ġorġ u l-ħbieb tiegħu se fuq il-palk.
Ġorġ and his friends will play on the stage.
Nanna, aħna se quddiem il-palk!
Grandma, we'll go in front of the stage!
Will be, will have
Choose the right word for the gap.
Iktar tard se hemm riħ qawwi.
Later there'll be a strong wind.
Illejla se fil-bankarell.
Tonight I'll be at the stall.
Illejla se fil-bankarell.
Tonight I'll be at the stall.
Int se fil-bankarell ta' Lina, hux?
You'll be at Lina's stall, won't you?
Aħna se fuq il-bank, quddiem il-palk.
We'll be on the bench, in front of the stage.
Intom se mat-tfal?
Will you two be with the children?
Intom se mat-tfal?
Will you two be with the children?
It-tfal se fuq il-palk.
The children will be on the stage.
Illejla se ħafna xogħol.
Tonight I'll have a lot of work.
Illejla se il-kowt il-qadim tiegħi.
Tonight you'll have my old raincoat.
Ċikku se l-imqarrun kollu!
Ċikku will have all the macaroni!
Illejla Ella se festa sabiħa ħafna.
Tonight Ella will have a lovely festa.
Practice 3/6 · Questions
Answer the question
Answer the questions.
Fejn se tmur Ella?
Where will Ella go?
U Tonio? Fejn se jmur wara l-kunċert?
And Tonio? Where will he go after the concert?
Ġorġ u l-ħbieb tiegħu fejn se jmorru?
Where will Ġorġ and his friends go?
U aħna, fejn se mmorru?
And where will we go?
Se jkollna ħafna xogħol illejla?
Will we have a lot of work tonight?
Ella u t-tfal se jkollhom kanzunetta ġdida?
Will Ella and the children have a new song?
Nanna, aħna se jkollna imqarrun il-forn?
Grandma, will we have baked macaroni?
U int, x'se tagħmel illejla?
And you, what will you do tonight?
Practice 4/6 · Fill the gaps
The plan for tonight
Fill the gaps with the words from the box.
Ġorġ, int se l-ewwel, u t-tfal se wara.
Ġorġ, you'll play first, and the children will start after you.
Wara l-kunċert, jien se id-dar, imma Tonio se jiżfen!
After the concert I'll go home, but Tonio will go dancing!
Wara l-kunċert, jien se id-dar, imma Tonio se jiżfen!
After the concert I'll go home, but Tonio will go dancing!
Intom se l-kafè, u aħna se l-imqarrun.
You'll make the coffee, and we'll make the macaroni.
Ġorġ u l-ħbieb tiegħu se , u n-nies se jiżfnu.
Ġorġ and his friends will play, and people will dance.
Ġorġ, intom se fit-tmienja jew iktar tard?
Ġorġ, will you start at eight or later?
Ġorġ, intom se fit-tmienja jew iktar tard?
Ġorġ, will you start at eight or later?
It-tfal se fuq il-palk, u se kanzunetta ġdida.
The children will be on the stage, and they'll have a new song.
Nanna, aħna se imqarrun il-forn?
Grandma, will we have baked macaroni?
Iva, u intom se il-kejk ukoll.
Yes, and you'll have cake too.
Practice 5/6 · Building sentences
Put the words in order
Put the words in order.
What am I going to do now?
And you, Lina, what will you do after the festa?
And you, Lina, what will you do after the festa?
Ċikku won't do anything. He'll sleep.
Lina and Ella will make the macaroni.
I'll start with the old song.
Ella, you'll start singing after Ġorġ.
Ġorġ, will you all play on the stage?
Grandma, will you go in front of the stage?
After the concert, people will go home.
After the concert, people will go home.
There won't be any snow today.
There won't be any snow today.
Practice 6/6 · In situations
The right words
Choose the right words for the situation.
Ġorġ can't find his mouthpiece, and Ċikku has gone. Promise you'll find the cat.
You say:
Ġorġ can't find his mouthpiece, and Ċikku has gone. Promise you'll find the cat.
You say:
Lina asks what your job at the stall will be. Say you'll take the money.
You say:
Lina asks what your job at the stall will be. Say you'll take the money.
You say:
Marija thinks it might snow. Tell her there won't be any snow today.
You say:
After se jkun hemm, something new has no article; and it will be is jkun, not nkun (I'll be).
Marija thinks it might snow. Tell her there won't be any snow today.
You say:
After se jkun hemm, something new has no article; and it will be is jkun, not nkun (I'll be).
Marija reads out the running order and tells Ġorġ when he's on.
Marija says:
Int takes t-, and before d it becomes d: iddoqq, se ddoqq.
Ella asks if you'll dance tonight. Say yes, you will.
You say:
Ella asks if you'll dance tonight. Say yes, you will.
You say:
Ella asks what Lina will do. Tell her Lina will make the baked macaroni.
You say:
Ella asks what Lina will do. Tell her Lina will make the baked macaroni.
You say:
Ask Marija and Ella if they'll be at the concert.
You say:
Two people, so intom, and the verb takes t- at the front and -u at the end: tkunu.
Ask Marija and Ella if they'll be at the concert.
You say:
Two people, so intom, and the verb takes t- at the front and -u at the end: tkunu.
Unit complete
