Future Tense in Persian

Overview

The formal future tense in Persian is formed using the auxiliary خواستن (khāstan, will) conjugated in present tense plus the past participle (short infinitive) of the main verb. This construction — خواهم رفت (khāham raft, I will go) — appears primarily in formal writing, news broadcasts, and literary texts. At the B1 level, you should recognize it and be able to form it, even though colloquial speech rarely uses it.

In everyday spoken Persian, the future is typically expressed using the simple present tense with a future time expression: فردا می‌روم (fardā miravam, I go tomorrow = I will go tomorrow). This is the natural way most Persians talk about future events. The formal future sounds bookish in conversation.

Understanding both options allows you to navigate the register differences that are so important in Persian. Use the formal future for writing and formal speech, and the present tense with time markers for casual conversation.

How It Works

Formula: خواهم/خواهی/خواهد... + past stem (short infinitive)

Person	Auxiliary	Example with رفتن
من	خواهم	خواهم رفت (I will go)
تو	خواهی	خواهی رفت (you will go)
او	خواهد	خواهد رفت (he/she will go)
ما	خواهیم	خواهیم رفت (we will go)
شما	خواهید	خواهید رفت (you will go)
آن‌ها	خواهند	خواهند رفت (they will go)

Negation: نخواهم رفت (nakhāham raft, I will not go)

Colloquial alternatives:

Formal Future	Colloquial Equivalent
خواهم رفت	فردا می‌رم (miram)
خواهد آمد	فردا میاد (miyād)
خواهیم دید	فردا می‌بینیم (mibinīm)

Examples in Context

Persian	English	Note
فردا خواهم رفت.	I will go tomorrow.	Formal
فردا می‌روم.	I will go tomorrow.	Colloquial (present for future)
او خواهد آمد.	He/She will come.	Formal
ما خواهیم دید.	We will see.	Formal/literary
این مشکل حل خواهد شد.	This problem will be solved.	News register
نخواهم گذاشت.	I will not allow it.	Formal negative
فردا زنگ می‌زنم.	I'll call tomorrow.	Everyday speech
هفتهٔ آینده می‌آید.	He/She will come next week.	Colloquial
دولت اقدام خواهد کرد.	The government will take action.	News/formal
انشاءالله خوب خواهد شد.	God willing, it will get better.	Semi-formal

Common Mistakes

Using the formal future in casual speech

• Wrong: فردا خواهم رفت (in casual conversation)
• Right: فردا می‌رم / فردا می‌روم
• Why: The formal future sounds stilted in everyday conversation. Use the simple present with a time marker instead.

Confusing the future auxiliary with خواستن (to want)

• Wrong: Thinking خواهم رفت means "I want to go"
• Right: خواهم رفت = I will go; می‌خواهم بروم = I want to go
• Why: The future auxiliary خواهم takes a past stem (رفت), while "want" takes a subjunctive (بروم). Different constructions, different meanings.

Placing the auxiliary after the main verb

• Wrong: رفت خواهم
• Right: خواهم رفت
• Why: In the future tense, the auxiliary comes before the past stem. This is the standard word order.

Usage Notes

The formal future appears regularly in news, official documents, legal texts, and formal speeches. In literary Persian, it can convey a sense of certainty or determination. However, in daily life, the vast majority of future reference uses the simple present. Some linguists argue that Persian does not really have a true spoken future tense — the present tense plus context handles all future reference in conversation.

Practice Tips

1. Read a Persian news article and highlight all formal future forms. Note how they would be expressed differently in conversation.
2. Practice forming the future for common verbs: خواهم خواند (I will read), خواهد نوشت (he/she will write), خواهیم دید (we will see).
3. Practice the colloquial alternative: take each formal future sentence and convert it to present tense + time marker: خواهم رفت → فردا می‌رم.

Related Concepts

• Simple Past Tense — provides the past stem used in the future construction