future tense
THE FUTURE TENSE
One way of forming the future tense in Inuktitut, is to insert the affix -niaq between the verb and the subject of the sentence:
| Suvit? | Suniaqpit? |
| What are you doing? | What will you be doing? |
| nirijunga | niriniaqtunga |
| I am eating | I will be eating |
When -niaq- is added to a verb stem that ends in q, the q changes to r.
| kaapituq + niaq + tunga = | kaapiturniaqtunga. |
| I will be drinking coffee. |
When -niaq- is added to a stem ending in k, it changes the final t to n.
| malik + niaq + tuq = | malinniaqtuq |
| He is going to be here. |
When -niaq- is added to a stem ending in t, it changes the final t to n.
| tavvaniit + niaq + tuq = | tavvaniinniaqtuq |
| He 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.
In Iqaluit, -langa- is the affix that is most commonly used for an event in the immediate future
| Ullumi aullalangajuq | He is leaving town today. |
-laaq- is another affix that is used to talk about the future. Whereas -niaq- describes something that will happen in the very near future, -laaq- is a little farther ahead in the future.
| Arvialianiaqtunga | Arvialialaaqtunga |
|
I am going to Arviat (later that day) |
I will be going to Arviat (sometime in the future). |
| takuniaqpugut | takulaarivugut |
| See you soon | 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 = | aullalaaqtuq. |
| He will leave town. |
The ending -qqat is used to talk about events that will happen in the future.
| qattimuuqqa? | What time is it ? |
| qattimuuqqat? | What time will it be ? |
| Uamuuqqat. | at 1:00. (literally, when it gets to one) |
THE AFFIX -JJAA
Finally, when using the future tense there is a special form of the negative. This involves adding the affix -jjaa- just before the negative affix -nngit-.
| qainiaqtuq | Il va venir. |
| qaijjaanngittuq | Il ne va pas venir. |
| Unnusa iqqanaijarniaqtunga. | I’ll be working this afternoon. |
| Unnusa iqqanaijajjaanngittunga. | I’ll not be working this afternoon. |