(2) Future tense

未来形(みらいけい) 

日本語(にほんご)では動詞(どうし)の活用(かつよう)に未来形(みらいけい)がなくて現在形(げんざいけい)と同形(どうけい)となります。

There are no future tense in Japanese, and use present tense to tell the future.


例(れい) Example

１．学校(がっこう)は お休(やす)みです。(現在形(げんざいけい)）

Gakko wa oyasumi desu.

School is closed.

--- This shows present situation.



２．学校(がっこう)は明日(あす)お休(やす)みです。（未来形(みらいけい)）　 

Gakko wa ashita oyasumi desu.

School will be closed tomorrow / School is closed tomorrow.

--- For future, in English "future tense" is commonly used. (Sometimes present tense can be used for routine/scheduled future). In Japanese no specific future tense exists and present tense is used. In this case exact future timing must be indicated for showing future. In case exact timing is not known, following adverb is used, to show you are talking about future.

すぐに　 suguni soon

やがて yagate some time later

そのうち sonouchi some time later

近(ちか)いうちに　　chikai uchini some time later (probably a few days/weeks later).

いつか　　itsuka some time in future later (maybe long time later)


例(れい)examples

お父(とう)さんはすぐに出発(しゅっぱつ)します。

Otousan wa suguni shuppatu shimasu.

Father will soon leave.



娘(むすめ)はやがて大(おお)きくなり、だれかと結婚(けっこん)します。

Musume wa yagate ookiku nari, dareka to kekkon shimasu.

Daughter will sooner or later grow up, and marry somebody.



いつか君(きみ)にもわかるときがくるよ。

Itsuka kimi nimo wakaru toki ga kuruyo.

Sometime in future you will know it.

3.～でしょう（未来形（みらいけい）

Used to indicate a schedule.  It also includes the meaning of possible.

予定(よてい）を表（あらわ）すときに使（つか）います。可能（かのう）の意味（いみ）も含（ふく）んでいます。

They will probably go to the cinema tomorrow.

明日（あした）、映画館（えいがかん）へ行（い）くでしょう。

The day after tomorrow it will snow heavily.

明後日（あさって）は、大雪（おおゆき）になるでしょう。

The day after tomorrow, relatives will probably come to the house.

明々後日（しあさって）は、親戚（しんせき）が家（いえ）に来（く）るでしょう。

more explanation about "でしょう"