Future Tense in Indonesian
Indonesian expresses future actions using specific time markers rather than verb conjugations.
1. Akan - Formal Future§
The most formal way to express future actions.
Structure: Subject + akan + root verb + object§
Examples:
- Saya akan makan nasi = “I will eat rice”
- Dia akan pergi besok = “He/She will leave tomorrow”
- Mereka akan datang nanti = “They will come later”
Note: “Akan” is considered formal and less common in casual conversation
2. Bakal - Informal Future§
More casual alternative to “akan” - commonly used in spoken Indonesian.
Structure: Subject + bakal + root verb + object§
Examples:
- Aku bakal makan nasi = “I’m going to eat rice”
- Dia bakal pergi besok = “He/She is going to leave tomorrow”
- Aku bakal datang nanti = “I’m going to come later”
3. Habis ini - “After this”§
Indicates immediate future actions, literally means “after this.”
Structure: Habis ini + subject + root verb + object§
Examples:
- Habis ini aku makan nasi = “After this, I will eat rice”
- Habis ini kita pergi = “After this, we will go”
- Habis ini dia tidur = “After this, he/she will sleep”
4. Nanti - “Later”§
Simple way to indicate future without formal markers.
Examples:
- Nanti aku datang = “I’ll come later”
- Nanti kita makan = “We’ll eat later”
- Dia pulang nanti = “He/She will go home later”
Summary Comparison§
| Marker | Formality | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| akan | Formal | Official/written | Saya akan datang = “I will come” |
| bakal | Informal | Casual conversation | Aku bakal datang = “I’m gonna come” |
| habis ini | Neutral | Immediate future | Habis ini kita pergi = “After this we’ll go” |
| nanti | Neutral | General future | Nanti aku datang = “I’ll come later” |
Note: In casual conversation, Indonesians often omit future markers entirely and rely on context or time indicators like “besok” (tomorrow), “minggu depan” (next week), etc.
—The Gardener