Grammar » 7 » Future Tense Affixes
Inuktitut has a number of ways of talking about events that will happen in the future.
One way is to insert the affix -niaq between the verb and the subject ending. -niaq- is used only for events that will happen later the same day.
| Suvit? |
What are you doing? |
| Suniaqpit? |
What will you be doing? |
| |
|
| nirijunga |
I am eating. |
| niriniaqtunga |
I will be eating. |
When -niaq- is added to a root that ends in q, the q changes to r.
| kaapituq + niaq + tunga = |
|
| kaapiturniaqtunga |
I will be drinking coffee. |
When
-niaq- is added to a root ending in
k, it changes the final
k to
ng.
| malik + niaq + tuq = |
|
| malingniaqtuq |
He/she will follow. |
When
-niaq- is added to a root ending in
t, it changes the final
t to
n.
| tavvaniit + niaq + tuq = |
|
| tavvaniinniaqtuq |
He/she is going to be here. |
The double n above is not just a quirk of spelling. When you pronounce this word, you have to hold the n sound for twice as long as you would a single n.
-laaq- is another affix that is used to talk about the future.
-laaq- is used for events that will be happening the next day or further into the future.
| Arvialiarniaqtunga |
I am going to Arviat (later that day). |
| Arvialialaaqtunga |
I will be going to Arviat (sometime in the future). |
| |
|
| takuutiniaqpugut |
See you soon! |
| takuutilaarivugut |
See you later/ See you then! |
| |
| pinasuarusiulaaqtumi |
next week |
If
-laaq- is added to a stem that ends in a consonant, it deletes the last consonant.
| aullaq + laaq + tuq = |
|
| aullalaaqtut |
They will depart. |
Finally, be aware that when starting a sentence with the idea
'when', you use different words, depending on whether you are talking about an event in the future or in the past:
| Qakugu utirniaqpa? |
When will she be back? |
| Qanga utilauqpa? |
When did she get back? |