The future: one word, θα
The future is the easiest corner of Greek. Put θα in front of the verb and you are done: θα πάω — I'll go, θα δούμε — we'll see. For example: “Αύριο θα πάω στην αγορά” — Tomorrow I'll go to the market. A rule from the Greek course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
The future is the easiest corner of Greek. Put θα (tha) in front of the verb and you are done: θα πάω (tha páo) — I'll go, θα δούμε (tha dúme) — we'll see.
The word grew out of θέλω να (thélo na) — "I want that". English "will" walked the same road, from an old verb for wanting.
The shape after θα is picked by meaning. θα πίνω (tha píno) — I'll be drinking, day after day. θα πιω (tha pio) — I'll drink one glass, down to the end. English draws the same line with "will be drinking" against "will drink".
Table
| the verb | once | again and again | in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| πηγαίνω | θα πάω | θα πηγαίνω | I'll go — I'll be going |
| πίνω | θα πιω | θα πίνω | I'll drink (a cup) — I'll be drinking |
| τρώω | θα φάω | θα τρώω | I'll eat — I'll be eating |
| βλέπω | θα δω | θα βλέπω | I'll see it — I'll be watching |
| γράφω | θα γράψω | θα γράφω | I'll write it — I'll be writing |
By example
- Αύριο θα πάω στην αγοράávrio tha páo stin agoráTomorrow I'll go to the market
- Θα σε δω το βράδυtha se do to vrádiWe'll see each other in the evening
- Δεν θα δουλέψω αύριοden tha dulépso ávrioI won't be working tomorrow
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
The future: how does it work in Greek?
The future is the easiest corner of Greek. Put θα in front of the verb and you are done: θα πάω — I'll go, θα δούμε — we'll see.
What does it look like in an example sentence Greek?
“Αύριο θα πάω στην αγορά” (ávrio tha páo stin agorá) — Tomorrow I'll go to the market. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.