Question: Future Tense of Verbs (1 Viewer)

[chepas]

Hallo Leute

As a Beginner, the future is just brushed over without going really in depth (well, at least that's my impression so far, cos I have no memory of learning much of it.).

So, how is the future formed in German? I think the one way of future expression we've done is with "werden", as in (I THINK this is an OK example. corrections?):

"Ich werde Lehrer sein" - for "I am going to be teacher."
"Wir werden mit dem Bus fahren" - "We will catch the bus."

What are the other uses with 'werden + another verb' for future? ANd is it just the really basic future like the 'simple future', or 'futur proche' of French ('aller' + another verb', (je vais manger un porc))?

Also, is there another way of expressing the future? Particularly WITHOUT 'werden', or is 'werden' like the 'will' of English? Do the individual verbs have changes to the conjugation to make it future?

Any help will be VERY MUCH appreciated!

Vielen Dank!
Chépas

 

[mervvyn]

Future

You don't generally hear "ich werde Lehrer sein"; when they talk about becoming a teacher/pilot/etc they drop the "sein", so it would be "ich werde Lehrer". (i think...) The other thing is that "werden" also is the verb "to become", so Germans often avoid "werden" if they can (so my teacher says) - "werden" is like the english "will" but we use it heaps more than them.
To do this, they insert a time phrase:
Instead of "ich werde morgen Fussball spielen" (i will play soccer tomorrow)
"ich spiele morgen Fussball" (i am playing soccer tomorrow, but means the same thing in German pretty much)

Hope that helps...

 

[chepas]

Ah k. Thanks . Using 'werden' always felt unfamiliar and weird to me... so yer

So, 'werden' applies more to a physical action like a motion, than just a state of 'being', as in that of 'being' a teacher? Where woiuld it otherwise be appropriate? (Sorry, too many qs )

 

[mervvyn]

I don't think that it's split like that... i was being sort of pedantic. You can use 'werden' with pretty much any verb - it's just the German way of saying "i am going to be a teacher" doesn't include a 'sein', but the 'werde' is still there. But professions are the only case i can think of at the moment and i get the feeling i am rambling.
Basically, they don't use as many 'werden's as we do 'will's... conversationally, they use time phrases to indicate the future, or just drop it (assuming the question to your other example was something like "wie kommt ihr dort?" [how are you getting there?], then the answer could easily have been "wir fahren mit dem Bus" without a 'werden')

to the other part of your question from last time, werden is sort of like a modal (wollen, sollen etc) in that it conjugates with the subject and the verb goes to the end in the infinitive. (eg "er wird aufgeregt" "he is getting excited")

'werden' is also part of the passive tense (eg the car is being repaired "das Auto wird repariert"), so it's not always future tense....

i think i have it right, but if in doubt, check with your teacher...

 

[classics_chic]

"werde" shouldn't be weird and uncomfortable: it's just like "will" in English- the form is just like the anglo form! e.g. "Ich werde ins Kino gehen", cf. "I will go to the cinema" - the same except for the position of the verb.

Honestly, the future is one of the least of your worries.

Viel Glueck! (damn anglo typeset)

 

[chepas]

Ah k.

Maybe that's why they don't teach the future in beginners . The future is best left till it is acted out...