Lessons · 4 of 18

The two futures

Two ways to talk about later — a loose promise and a firm plan.

Karachay has two futures, and the difference between them is one every grandmother understands immediately. Tell yours barırma — "I'll come by" — and she hears a warm intention with no date attached. Tell her barlıkma — "I am coming" — and she starts making hıçın, because that one is a plan.

The open future — "will"

barır plus the present-set endings. This is the future of promises, predictions, and things that will happen in the general course of life:

• men barırma
• sen barırsa
• ol barır

…and barırbız, barırsız, barırla for we, you all, they. The site's tables call it the indefinite future (future I).

The firm future — "going to"

barlık plus the endings. This is the future of plans, schedules, and things already set in motion — the everyday "I'm going to":

• men barlıkma
• sen barlıksa
• ol barlıkdı

…and barlıkbız, barlıksız, barlıkdıla. The tables call it the definite future (future II). Stems that end in a vowel build it with -rik/-rıq instead: izlerikme — "I'm going to look for it."

When in doubt, ask yourself: could I attach a time to this? "I'll visit someday" is barırma; "I'm going tomorrow" is tambla barlıkma.