To talk about the future in Fusha, put sa- (near future) or sawfa (more distant or emphatic) in front of the present.
sa- + present
sa- is joined to the verb:
| Person | Present | Future |
|---|---|---|
| ana | aktubu | سأكتبُ sa-aktubu |
| anta | taktubu | ستكتبُ sa-taktubu |
| huwa | yaktubu | سيكتبُ sa-yaktubu |
| na7nu | naktubu | سنكتبُ sa-naktubu |
| hum | yaktubuuna | سيكتبون sa-yaktubuuna |
- سأسافرُ غداًsa-usaafiru ghadanI will travel tomorrow.
- هل ستحضرُ الحفلةَ؟hal sa-ta7duru al-7aflata?Will you attend the party?
sawfa
sawfa is a separate word with the same meaning. It sounds more formal or more certain:
- سوف نرىsawfa naraaWe shall see.
Negative future: lan
To say "will not", use lan + the subjunctive (the -a ending), and drop sa-:
- لن أذهبَlan adhhabaI will not go.
- لن نتأخرَlan nata2akhkharaWe will not be late.