{"id":4256,"date":"2013-12-06T08:27:00","date_gmt":"2013-12-06T08:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/?p=4256"},"modified":"2013-12-06T08:27:42","modified_gmt":"2013-12-06T08:27:42","slug":"present-or-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/present-or-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Present or Future?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cVa bene, adesso prendo<\/u> un caff\u00e8 poi me ne vado<\/u> a casa cos\u00ec finisco<\/u> di scrivere il blog\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A literal translation of this simple sentence into English highlights a confusing aspect of the use of the present tense in Italian: \u2018Okay, now I have<\/u> a coffee, then I go<\/u> home so that I finish<\/u> writing the blog\u2019. A \u2018correct\u2019 translation would read something like: \u2018okay, now I\u2019m going to<\/u> have a coffee, then I\u2019ll go home<\/u> to finish writing the blog.<\/p>\n

In fact, the rules for using the present and future tense in Italian are quite different from those in English. Generally speaking when we are talking about something in Italian that will definitely happen<\/u>, we tend to use the present tense rather than the future tense. Here\u2019s a typical example: \u2018I\u2019ll go to Sarzana tomorrow to see Maria Pia\u2019. This uses the future tense in English, but in Italian I would say: \u2018domani vado<\/u> a Sarzana a trovare Maria Pia\u2019 <\/strong>(which uses the present tense: vado<\/strong> = I go<\/u>, instead of andr\u00f2<\/strong> = I will go<\/u>). Likewise the statement: \u2018I\u2019ll buy some of that nice pecorino this afternoon\u2019 would become \u2018questo pomeriggio compro<\/u> un po\u2019 di quel buon  pecorino\u2019 <\/strong>(compro<\/strong> = I buy<\/u>, instead of comprer\u00f2<\/strong> = I will buy<\/u>). Another good example is the common expression ci vediamo<\/u> pi\u00f9 tardi<\/strong> (literally \u2018we see<\/u> each other later\u2019 rather than \u2018we will see<\/u> each other later\u2019).<\/p>\n

This is not to say that the future tense is redundant, far from it! In Italian we tend to use the future tense to express possibility and probability such as in English sentences that use \u2018could be\u2019, \u2018would be\u2019, \u2018must be\u2019, etc. Here are a few examples: Sar\u00e0 stato<\/u> Giovanni che ha lasciato il libro?<\/strong> = could it have been Giovanni who left the book (literally: will it have been<\/u> Giovanni who left the book?); saranno state<\/u> le nove quando \u00e8 partita<\/strong> = it must have been nine \u2018o\u2019 clock when she left (literally: it will have been<\/u> nine \u2018o\u2019clock when she left); Franco avr\u00e0<\/u> un centinaio di pecore<\/strong> = Franco must have about a hundred sheep (literally: Franco will have<\/u> about a hundred sheep). In phrases such as andr\u00e0<\/u> tutto bene<\/strong> = everything will be<\/u> fine, or vedrai<\/u> che avevo ragione io<\/strong> = you\u2019ll see<\/u> that I was right, the usage of the future tense is identical both in English and Italian.<\/p>\n

We also use the future tense in certain idiomatic phrases and expressions, a very common one being capirai!<\/strong> literally \u2018you will understand!\u2019 As with many idioms this isn\u2019t easy to translate, but this exclamation is commonly used throughout Italy to express irony, such as in the English expression \u2018big deal!\u2019 or \u2018wow!\u2019 (said with irony), e.g. ho vinto due euro alla lotteria, capirai!<\/strong> = I won two euros in the lottery, big deal!<\/p>\n

For more information about how and when to use the present and future tense in Italian I suggest you read this article<\/font><\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cVa bene, adesso prendo un caff\u00e8 poi me ne vado a casa cos\u00ec finisco di scrivere il blog\u201d. A literal translation of this simple sentence into English highlights a confusing aspect of the use of the present tense in Italian: \u2018Okay, now I have a coffee, then I go home so that I finish writing…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":90,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[292173,292174],"class_list":["post-4256","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-grammar","tag-future-and-present-tense-in-italian","tag-italiano-futuro-presente"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t