Tense guide

Futuro anteriore (Future Perfect)

Language: Italian

Tense:

Person:

Introduction

This tense describes a future action that will be completed before another future event. It shows what will have happened at a specific point in the future. It is also very commonly used to express a guess or assumption about something that already happened in the past.

The most common use is to show the order of two future actions. This tense describes the first action, the one that will be finished before the second one begins. Look for words like dopo che (after), quando (when), or appena (as soon as).

Dopo che avrò finito i compiti, guarderò la TV.

(After I have finished my homework, I will watch TV.)

Quando sarai arrivato alla stazione, chiamami.

(When you have arrived at the station, call me.)

Appena avremo mangiato, usciremo.

(As soon as we have eaten, we will go out.)

Ti restituirò il libro dopo che lo avrò letto.

(I will return the book to you after I have read it.)

Compreremo una casa quando avremo risparmiato abbastanza soldi.

(We will buy a house when we have saved enough money.)

This tense is frequently used to make a guess or assumption about a past event. It is the Italian way to say "he probably did..". or "I guess she was..".. In this context, the action is not in the future at all.

Giulia non è alla festa. Sarà rimasta a casa.

(Giulia is not at the party. She probably stayed home.)

Perché Marco è in ritardo? Avrà perso l'autobus.

(Why is Marco late? He probably missed the bus.)

Non trovo le mie chiavi. Le avrò lasciate in macchina.

(I can't find my keys. I must have left them in the car.)

Paolo sembra stanco. Avrà dormito male.

(Paolo seems tired. He probably slept poorly.)

La strada è bagnata. Avrà piovuto stanotte.

(The street is wet. It must have rained last night.)

Remember, even though this tense has "future" in its name, one of its most important functions is to express uncertainty or probability about the past. The context of the conversation makes the meaning clear.

A less frequent use is to express a logical conclusion or a strong belief about a past situation. It is stronger than a simple guess and is similar to saying "It must have been..". in English.

Hanno comprato una villa. Avranno speso molti soldi.

(They bought a villa. They must have spent a lot of money.)

L'esame era difficile. Sarà stato un disastro per tutti.

(The exam was difficult. It must have been a disaster for everyone.)