Future Tense in Norwegian

Overview

Future Tense (Futurum) in Norwegian is a B1-level grammar concept that learners must understand to discuss plans, predictions, and intentions. Unlike English, Norwegian has no single dedicated future tense morphology. Instead, futurity is expressed through several constructions, each carrying a different nuance of intention, prediction, or certainty.

The three primary strategies are skal + infinitive (intention or plan), vil + infinitive (prediction or willingness), and kommer til å + infinitive (general future expectation). Additionally, the present tense is frequently used for scheduled or near-future events. Understanding when to choose each construction is essential for sounding natural in Norwegian.

This topic builds on your knowledge of modal verbs from A1 and connects to how Norwegian handles tense and aspect more broadly. The lack of a morphological future means that context and auxiliary choice carry the communicative weight.

How It Works

The four ways to express future in Norwegian

Construction	Form	Primary meaning	Example
skal + infinitive	skal + verb	Intention, plan, promise	Jeg skal reise i morgen.
vil + infinitive	vil + verb	Prediction, willingness	Det vil regne i kveld.
kommer til å + infinitive	kommer til å + verb	General future expectation	Hun kommer til å bli lege.
Present tense	verb in present	Scheduled/near future	Vi drar neste uke.

Skal + infinitive: intention and plan

Use skal when the subject has made a decision or has an arrangement:

Norwegian	English
Jeg skal flytte til Bergen.	I'm going to move to Bergen.
Vi skal gifte oss neste år.	We're going to get married next year.
Hva skal du gjøre i helga?	What are you going to do this weekend?

Vil + infinitive: prediction and willingness

Use vil for predictions about what will happen or to express willingness:

Norwegian	English
Det vil bli kaldt i morgen.	It will be cold tomorrow.
Jeg vil gjerne hjelpe.	I'd be happy to help.
Hun vil nok komme.	She'll probably come.

Note: vil can also mean "want to," so context determines meaning.

Kommer til å + infinitive: expectation

This is the most neutral future construction, close to English "going to":

Norwegian	English
Det kommer til å gå bra.	It's going to go well.
De kommer til å bli overrasket.	They're going to be surprised.

Present tense for future

When a time expression makes the future reference clear, simple present is very common:

Norwegian	English
Toget går kl. 14.	The train leaves at 2 PM.
Vi drar neste uke.	We're leaving next week.

Examples in Context

Norwegian	English	Note
Jeg skal reise i morgen.	I'm going to travel tomorrow.	Plan/intention with skal
Det vil regne hele uka.	It will rain all week.	Prediction with vil
Hun kommer til å bli lege.	She's going to become a doctor.	Expectation with kommer til å
Vi drar neste uke.	We're leaving next week.	Present tense for scheduled future
Skal du bli med?	Are you going to join?	Question about plans
Det vil ikke fungere.	That won't work.	Negative prediction
De kommer til å elske det.	They're going to love it.	Positive expectation
Jeg skal ringe deg i morgen.	I'll call you tomorrow.	Promise with skal
Butikken stenger kl. 18.	The shop closes at 6 PM.	Scheduled event in present
Vi skal ha fest på lørdag.	We're having a party on Saturday.	Arranged plan
Det vil ta tid.	It will take time.	General prediction
Hva kommer det til å koste?	What's it going to cost?	Question with kommer til å

Common Mistakes

Using vil for intention instead of skal

• Wrong: Jeg vil reise til Norge neste sommer. (meaning "I plan to travel")
• Right: Jeg skal reise til Norge neste sommer.
• Why: Vil suggests willingness or prediction, not a concrete plan. For definite intentions, use skal. (Vil here would sound like "I want to travel" rather than "I'm going to travel.")

Overusing vil like English "will"

• Wrong: Translating every English "will" as vil.
• Right: Choose the construction that matches the meaning: skal for plans, vil for predictions, kommer til å for neutral expectations.
• Why: English "will" covers intention, prediction, and promise. Norwegian distributes these meanings across different constructions.

Forgetting that present tense works for future

• Wrong: Always using a modal for future events: Vi skal drar i morgen.
• Right: Vi drar i morgen. (or Vi skal dra i morgen.)
• Why: When context makes the future clear (through time expressions), present tense is natural and common. Also note that after skal, the infinitive (dra) is required, not the present tense form (drar).

Confusing vil (will/want) meanings

• Wrong: Interpreting Vil du danse? as only "Will you dance?"
• Right: It can mean both "Do you want to dance?" and "Will you dance?" depending on context.
• Why: Vil retains its "want" meaning alongside its future/prediction use. Context and intonation distinguish them.

Usage Notes

In everyday spoken Bokmål, kommer til å is increasingly popular as a neutral future marker, especially among younger speakers. Skal remains the go-to for personal plans and intentions. Vil for pure prediction is somewhat more formal or literary; in casual speech, kommer til å often replaces it.

The present tense for scheduled events is standard across all registers and is not considered informal. It is particularly common with verbs of motion (dra, komme, reise, gå) and timetabled events.

In Nynorsk, the same constructions exist but with slightly different verb forms (e.g., kjem til å instead of kommer til å).

Practice Tips

• Categorize real examples. When reading Norwegian news or listening to podcasts, note each future expression and classify it as skal, vil, kommer til å, or present tense. This trains your ear for natural usage patterns.
• Describe your week ahead. Write a paragraph about your upcoming plans using skal for intentions, and practice switching to kommer til å for expectations about outcomes.
• Translate with nuance. Take English sentences with "will" and "going to" and decide which Norwegian construction fits best. Compare your choices with a native speaker or language resource.

Related Concepts

• Modal Verbs - Parent concept