In this post, we will learn how to start making future tense statements so we can talk about the things we are going to do, such as “I will buy the coffee” or “We will clean the kitchen.” To make future tense sentences in Chamorro, we need to use future tense markers and learn which hu type pronouns they are paired with. We’ll go through the different future tense markers in this post and practice making sentences with them. Happy studying!

Chamorro
Introduction to Future Tense in Chamorro Future Tense Markers Example Sentences: I will, We will Example Sentences: You will, We will Example Sentences: She/He/It Will, They Will Negative Marker: Will not Wrapping Up: Practice on Quizlet! Keep Learning! Continue to the Next Lesson References

Introduction to Future Tense in Chamorro

Saying sentences in the future tense in Chamorro can take several forms, such as the following examples given in English:

• I will drink the coffee.
• I will drink coffee.
• I will drink (something)

In these notes, I focus on the first sentence form in Chamorro – I will drink the coffee. I will also be focusing on using transitive verbs only. The other sentences require different transformations to the verbs, which will be covered in another post.

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Future Tense Markers

To make our basic transitive sentences into the future tense, we use future markers in front of the sentence. Which turns the sentence I drank the coffee into I will drink the coffee.

There are three different types of future markers, and they are used depending upon which hu-type pronoun the sentence begins with. This can feel confusing at the beginning, so here is a table of the pairings of future markers and hu type pronouns. Try to learn these as entire phrases:

Para bai hu / Bai hu	I will
Para bai in / Bai in	We will (exclusive)
Para un	You will
Para en	You will (plural)
Para ta	We will (inclusive)
Para u	She/He/It will
Para u ma	They will
Para u ha1	They (2) will

¹ Note about Para u ha: In the Spoken Chamorro text, I saw that the phrase para u ha is used when there are 2 people, while para u is used when there is only 1 person. I don’t always hear para u ha, but I have read this in older religious texts which is why I include it in these lesson notes.

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Example Sentences: I will, We will

In this first group of sentences, we’ll learn how to make future tense statements when using “me” or “we” (exclusive) pronouns:

Para Bai + [ Hu / In ] + Transitive Verb + i + Noun

Para bai hu gimen i kafe.	I will drink the coffee.
Para bai hu fåhan i lepblo.	I will buy the book.
Bai hu ekungok i kanta.	I will listen to the song.
Para bai in ayao i amot gapotulu.	We will borrow the hairspray.
Para bai in na’gasgas i kusina.	We will clean the kitchen.
Bai in kana’ i magågu.	We will hang the clothing.

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Example Sentences: You will, We will

Next, this group of sentences only uses the para future tense marker, for sentences that use the pronoun “you”, “you all” and “we” (inclusive):

Para + [ Un / En / Ta ] + Transitive Verb + i + Noun

Para un sotta i tali.	You will let go of the rope.
Para un ågang si tatå-mu.	You will call your father.
Para en bisita i malångu.	You all will visit the sick.
Para en kånno’ i kelaguen månnok.	You all will eat the chicken kelaguen.
Para ta ayuda i biha.	We will help the elderly woman.
Para ta kåmyo i niyok.	We will grate the coconut.

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Example Sentences: She/He/It Will, They Will

For this sentence type, there are some differences to the sentence structure based upon the pronoun used. For the pronoun Ha (He / She / It), it can be used to express future tense for a single subject or two subjects. The distinction between dual and plural (3 or more) subjects is something that is particular to Chamorro, and can be a bit difficult to remember when you aren’t used to it. I think of the rules this way:

Hu Pronoun	Subjects	Pronoun is	Future Marker
Ha	1	Dropped	Para u
Ha	2	Kept	Para u ha
Ma	3+	Kept	Para u ma

Based on the rules above, we will use the following sentence structure. Remember to be mindful of the number of subjects you are using to determine the pronoun you use:

Para u + ( Ha / Ma ) + Transitive Verb + i + Noun

Let’s practice with some example sentences in the table below:

Para u bisita i gima’ Yu’os.	She will visit the church.
Para u fa’gåsi i magågu.	He will wash the clothes.
Para u ha arekla i kareta.	They (2) will repair the car.
Para u ha fa’tinas i kelaguen månnok.	They (2) will prepare the chicken kelaguen.
Para u ma aligao i ga’lågu.	They will look for the dog.
Para u ma ekungok i kuekuentos.	They will listen to the speaker.

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Negative Marker: Will not

We can also express our future tense sentences in the negative, such as I will not drink the coffee. We do this by putting the negative marker ti at the beginning of the sentence. The sentence structure is as follows:

Ti + Future Marker + Hu Pronoun + Transitive Verb + i + Object

Ti para bai hu kånno’ i niyok.	I will not eat the coconut.
Ti para bai in rega i cha’guan.	We will not water the grass.
Ti para u apåsi i tenderu.	He will not pay the storekeeper.
Ti para u ha faisen i fafa’nå’gue.	They (2) will not ask the teacher.
Ti para u ma atende i dinanña.	They will not attend the gathering.
Ti para un ekungok i kanta.	You will not listen to the song.
Ti para en taitai i katta.	You all will not write the letter.
Ti para ta tattiyi i kareta.	We will not follow the car.

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Wrapping Up: Practice on Quizlet!

In this lesson, we learned how to make future tense statements with transitive verbs. We learned about the different future markers that are required for talking in the future tense, along with the different combinations of future markers and hu type pronouns.

If you want additional practice with the example sentences in this lesson, use this Quizlet Deck for study and review.

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Keep Learning! Continue to the Next Lesson

And that concludes this lesson! Click the link below to read part 7 in this blog series, and learn how to make statements about what we must or should do:

Lesson 16: How to Say “Must” and “Should” in Chamorro – “I must drink the coffee”

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References

Topping, D. M., & Ogo, P. M. (1980). Spoken Chamorro with Grammatical Notes and Glossary (PALI Language Texts―Micronesia) (2nd ed.). University of Hawaii Press.

• Rules for Future Tense: pg. 106 – 107
• Future Tense Sentence Drills: pg. 109 – 112

Topping, D. M., & Dungca, B. C. (1980). Chamorro Reference Grammar (PALI Language Texts―Micronesia). University of Hawaii Press.

• Rules for Future Tense: pg. 261 – 264