Dutch Verbs: The Future Tense

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Overview		The Present Tense of 'Zullen'

The Future Tense

The Past Tense of 'Zullen'

The Use of The 'Past Tense' of 'Zullen'

de toekomende tijd 2 'the future tense'
(de) toekomst '(the) future'

'Zullen' is the auxiliary verb for the future tense in Dutch.

Overview:

zullen		shall/will
ik zal		I shall, I will
wij zullen		we shall, we will
ik zou		I should, I would
wij zouden		we should, we would
2

The Present Tense of 'Zullen'

(zullen )		shall/will
ik zal		I will/shall
jij zult		you will (singular, informal you)
hij zal		he will
wij zullen		we will/shall
jullie zullen		you will (plural, informal you)
zij zullen		they will
U zult		you will (polite you)

Jij zal

2 ('you will') is also said and zal jij?

('will you?') is an acceptable variation too
Note that there is no T in jij zal and hij zal

2 3

The Future Tense

The future tense uses the auxiliary verb zullen with verb infinitives.
In Dutch, 'secondary verbs' like infinitives and past participles are usually put at the end of the line >>

Ik zal schrijven 2	I will write (letters)
Ik zal opschieten 2	I'll hurry
Ik zal 't uitleggen	I'll explain [it]
Ik zal 't hun geven	I'll give it to them
Hoe zal 't aflopen?	How will it end?

Ik zal U doorverbinden 2 I'll [connect you through] transfer your call

Ik zal 't niet vergeten 2 3 4 I [will not] won't forget it

De tijd zal 't leren 2 [The] Time will [teach] tell

Hoe laat zal ik je wakker maken? 2 What time shall I wake you up?

Hoe lang zal 't duren? 2 3 How long will it last?

Iemand zal een oplosing moeten vinden Someone will have to find a solution

Ik zal Jan morgen in Amsterdam geld geven Tomorrow in Amsterdam I'll give Jan money

Morgen zal 't wel beter zijn 2 3 (I think) it will be better tomorrow

't Zal niet de eerste keer zijn 2 3 It [will not] won't be the first time

't Zal niet gemakkelijk zijn 2 It won't be easy

't Zal wel meevallen 2 3 It won't be that bad

't Zal wel niet 2 3 It's not going to happen, It won't turn out to be that way

't Lachen zal je vergaan 2 3 4 5 [~Your laughter will die] - You will not be laughing then

Zul je voorzichtig zijn? 2 Will you be careful?

Wie zal dat betalen? 2 Who will pay for that?

Zal ik je een kopje thee inschenken? Shall I pour you a cup of tea?

Je zult branden in de hel You'll burn in hell

Je zult er geen spijt van krijgen 2 [You will not feel remorse over it] You won't be sorry

We zullen wel zien 2 We'll see

Zullen we gaan zwemmen? 2 [Shall we go swimming?] - Let's go for a swim

Zullen we naar de film gaan? 2 3 [Shall we go to a movie?] - Let's go see a movie

Zullen we ergens gaan eten? [Shall we go eat somewhere?] - Let's go out for meal

Eerlijk zullen we alles delen 2 We'll share everything fairly

Zullen we de zitting opheffen? 2 Shall we terminate the session? (originally a bureaucratic term, now often used jocularly for leaving the table after a meal) - Let's get up

Ooit zullen we de Zuiderzee bedwingen en het land weer droogleggen Someday we'll subdue the Zuyder Zee and reclaim the land

We zullen dat varkentje wel even wassen 2 3 ['We'll wash that little pig'] - We'll take care of that somewhat unpleasant task

The Past Tense of 'Zullen'

ik zou		I would
jij zou		you would (singular, informal you)
hij zou		he would
wij zouden		we would
jullie zouden		y'all would (plural, informal you)<
zij zouden		they would
U zou		you would (polite you)

The Use of The 'Past Tense' of Zullen - The Conditional

The 'past tense' of 'zullen,'

the auxiliary verb for the future tense usually indicates a hypothetical situation, something that didn't happen, a polite request or statement, a question of uncertain outcome, or a question that can't be answered or to which no answer is expected.

hypothetical, speculating

Wat zou er gebeuren? 2 What would happen?

Als ik jou was zou ik niet gaan If I were you I wouldn't go

Ik zou niet gaan 2 3 4 I wouldn't go

Dat zou je ook kunnen doen 2 3 You could do that too

Ik wist zeker dat U me zou begrijpen 2 3 I was sure that you would (were going to) understand me

Wat zou daar het voordeel van zijn? 2 3 4 What could be the advantage of that?

Je zou haast denken ... 2 3 You'd almost think ...

Niet wat je zou verwachten Not what you'd expect

't Zou me niet verbazen 2 It wouldn't surprise me, I wouldn't be surprised

Je zou beter moeten weten 2 You should know better, You should have known better (Are you ignorant? I'm disappointed in you)

Dat zou wat zijn! 2 Now that would be something! Imagine that!

't Zou niks voor mij zijn 2 3 [It would be nothing for me] - I wouldn't want that (something some other people seem to enjoy)

Dat zou zuur zijn 2 That would be a sad outcome, a disappointment

it could be

't Zou kunnen 2 It could be

't Zou kunnen zijn 2 It could be

't Zou kunnen zijn dat ... 2 It could be that ...

unconfirmed news, allegedly, it was said

Er zou veel schade zijn It was said there was great damage

Er zouden geen overlevenden zijn 2 Unconfirmed reports said there were no survivors

it didn't happen

Mijn moeder zou dit jaar honderd geworden zijn 2 My mother would have been (turned?) 100 years old this year

We zouden gaan fietsen maar 't begon te regenen We were going to make a bike ride but it started to rain

ik had zullen ... I would have ... Ik had zullen wachten 2 3
(actually a past perfect tense) I was going to wait, the plan was that I would wait (but it didn't happen)

wishing

't Zou beter zijn ... 2 It would be better ...

Ik zou wel eens willen weten ... 2 I would like to know [sometime] ...

Ik zou willen dat ik harder kon schoppen 2 I wish I could kick (the ball) harder

Ik zou zo graag ... 2 3 I would really like to ... (a great wish of mine is ...)

Zeg maar wat je zou willen hebben van Sinterklaas 2 Just [say] tell me what you'd like to have from Santa

Zou je dat willen? 2 3 4 Would you want that? Is that what you'd want?

polite questions or statements

Wat zou U aanraden? 2 3 What would you recommend? (in a restaurant or shop)

Zou U dat nog eens willen zeggen? 2 Could you please say that again (polite 'you')

Zou je alsjeblieft Nederlands willen spreken? Could you please speak Dutch (informal, singular 'you')

Zou U alstublieft Nederlands willen spreken? Could you please speak Dutch (polite 'you')

Zou U wat langzamer kunnen praten? 2
Zou U wat langzamer willen spreken? 2 Could you please, would you mind speak a little slower?

The past tense of 'zullen' is also used for rhetorical questions where you don't expect a good answer.

Zou 't gaan regenen? Is it going to rain? - no idea

Gaat 't regenen? 2 Is it going to rain? - checking the forecast, asking a knowledgeable person

Zou 't kunnen zijn dat ...? 2 Could it be that ...?

Hoe zou 't met Kees zijn? 2 3 How would it be with Kees? How would Kees be? (You're completely out of touch)

Zou 't lukken? 2 Is it going to work? (succeed)

Wat zou 't zijn? What could it be?

Zou je dat nou wel doen? 2 3 Should you do that? Are you sure it's a good idea?

Occasionally, the present tense of 'zullen,' usually in combination with pragmatic markers like 'maar,' 'toch' or 'wel' is used to indicate hypothetical, potential situations.

Dat zal toch wel niet ... 2 [That will not be] - I don't think that's how it is

't Zal je kind maar wezen 'Imagine it would be your child,' 'To have a child like that ...' (wezen is mild slang for zijn, 'to be')