Talking about the future in Maltese is surprisingly simple. Once you know the present tense, forming the future is just one small step away.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
To express a future action, you simply place the particle `se` before the conjugated present tense verb. That's it!
se + (Present Tense Verb)
Let's take the verb `nikteb` (I write) and make it future.
| Maltese Future Tense | English |
|---|---|
| Se nikteb. | I will write. |
| Se tikteb. | You will write. |
| Se jikteb. | He will write. |
| Se tikteb. | She will write. |
| Se niktbu. | We will write. |
| Se tiktbu. | You (pl.) will write. |
| Se jiktbu. | They will write. |
You will often see and hear `ser` instead of `se`. They mean the exact same thing and are interchangeable. Some people prefer `ser` before a word starting with a vowel for a smoother sound, but `se` is always correct.
Making the future negative is also very straightforward. You use `mhux se` before the verb. You do not use the `ma...-x` wrapper for the future tense.
mhux se + (Present Tense Verb)
Master the future tense.
Import Chapter 23 Flashcards(Requires login to import/study)
Identify if the sentence is a positive or negative future statement.
Turn the following present tense statements into future tense.
The future tense is the language of plans and social life in Malta. A very common question among friends and family, especially towards the end of the week, is `X'se tagħmel il-weekend?` (What will you do on the weekend?).
Answers might range from `Se mmur il-baħar` (I will go to the sea) to `Mhux se nagħmel xejn` (I will not do anything). This focus on future plans highlights the social and event-driven nature of Maltese culture, where weekends are often filled with family lunches, village feasts (`festi`), or simply relaxing by the sea.
Pawlu and Marija discuss their plans for tomorrow.
Pawlu: Għada se jkun temp sabiħ. X'se tagħmel? (AA-da se ykoon temp sa-BEEH. Sh'se TAA-mel?)
Marija: Naħseb li se mmur il-bajja. Trid tiġi? (NAH-seb li se mmoor il-BAI-ya. Treed TI-ji?)
Pawlu: Nixtieq, imma ma nistax. Għada se naħdem kmieni. (nish-TEEK, im-ma ma nis-TASH. AA-da se NAH-dem KMIE-ni.)
Marija: U filgħaxija? Se tkun liberu? (Oo fil-ash-EE-ya? Se tkoon LI-be-ru?)
Pawlu: Iva, filgħaxija mhux se naħdem. Nistgħu mmorru nieklu xi mkien. (EE-va, fil-ash-EE-ya moosh se NAH-dem. NIS-taw mmoor NEEK-loo shi mkyen.)
Marija: Idea tajba! Mela se narawk għada filgħaxija. (i-DE-ya TAI-ba! ME-la se na-ROWK AA-da fil-ash-EE-ya.)
Pawlu: Tomorrow the weather will be nice. What will you do?
Marija: I think that I will go to the beach. Do you want to come?
Pawlu: I would like to, but I can't. Tomorrow I will work early.
Marija: And in the evening? Will you be free?
Pawlu: Yes, in the evening I will not work. We can go eat somewhere.
Marija: Good idea! So, we will see each other tomorrow evening.
The future tense is formed with `se` or `ser` + the present tense verb. The negative future is formed with `mhux se` + the present tense verb.
`għada` (tomorrow), `temp` (weather), `naħseb` (I think), `kmieni` (early), `filgħaxija` (in the evening), `liberu` (free), `xejn` (nothing).
Prosit! You can now talk about the past, present, and future. In the next chapter, we will explore a unique and powerful feature of Maltese grammar called `L-Istat Kostrutt` (The Construct State), which is a special way of showing possession, like "the door of the house".