# Future tense



## yingguoning

So Finnish doesn't have a grammatical future tense, but of course the future tense can still be expressed in Finnish, usually using the present with a future time word, or aikoa or something similar.

But how would one express in Finnish not the simple future tense, but compound future tenses? For example:

Future continuous: I *will be eating* dinner at 6 o'clock. (I will have started eating before 6, and will be in the process of eating at 6.)

Future perfect: I *will have read* my book before you even start reading yours.

Future perfect continuous: I *will have been running* for several hours when I finish the marathon.


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## Gavril

To my knowledge, there is no regular way to unambiguously convey these meanings with the verb and object alone. You need other words in the context like _huomenna, ensi viikolla, _etc.

_syön illallista _"I am eating dinner" or "I will be eating dinner"

_olen syönyt illallista _"I have eaten dinner" or "I will have eaten dinner"

_olen juossut monta tuntia _"I have run for many hours" or "I will have run for many hours" or "I will have been running for many hours"


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## Spongiformi

I [will] have read my book before you even start reading yours._

Olen lukenut kirjani, ennen kuin sinä olet edes alkanut lukea omaasi.
_
Like in Gavril's examples, the future tense makes no difference. (Although to be exact dinner is _päivällinen, _not _illallinen_.)

Technically speaking, depending on the situation, in the case of the dinner example you could use the structure of "_Olen syömässä päivällistä kuudelta" _if the situation warrants it. _K: "Ovatko kaikki vapaita kuuden aikaan?" V: "Olen syömässä päivällistä kuudelta"._


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## yingguoning

OK, got it more or less. Thanks.


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## Hdt545

Verb "tulla"  can be used as an auxilary verb for this purpose
_Virtanen tulee olemaan riemuissaan valinnastaan._ - _Virtanen will be elated about his selection.
Virtanen on riemuissaan valinnastaan. - Virtanen is elated about his selection._

Without the "tulla" the sentence has different meaning so in cases you don't include the time it can be used to show future tense.


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