Future Active
The **ordinary sigmatic future active indicative** is formed from the appropriate **future-system stem** + **-σ-** + present-like/primary active inflection: **λύσω, λύσεις, λύσει, λύσομεν, λύσετε, λύσουσι(ν)**. The future has no augment and characteristically has prospective/future temporal value. GOLD does **not** assign one universally accepted viewpoint-aspect value to the future system. A 1st-singular form in **-σω** is characteristic of the sigmatic future, but surface identity alone is insufficient: forms such as **λύσω** can also represent a first-aorist subjunctive, so mood and construction must be identified.
**Matt 5:11** — Μακάριοι **ἐστε** ὅταν **ὀνειδίσωσιν ὑμᾶς** … ('Blessed are you when they **insult you** — ὀνειδίσωσιν = aor. subj. after ὅταν, with prospective reference …').
**John 14:26** — …ἐκεῖνος **διδάξει ὑμᾶς** πάντα ('…that one [the Spirit] **will teach you** all things') — διδάξει = 3 sg. fut.
Future Middle
The **future middle** is formed from the future-system stem + sigmatic future morphology + the middle inflectional series: **λύσομαι, λύσῃ, λύσεται, λυσόμεθα, λύσεσθε, λύσονται**. Many lexemes conventionally use future-middle morphology, including lexical-middle verbs such as **ἔρχομαι → ἐλεύσομαι**. The morphology should be named first: a future-middle form may receive middle, lexical-middle, or in some lexemes/context a passive interpretation. This must be distinguished from the **future passive** system, whose formal morphology is built on the passive-system stem (e.g. **λυθήσομαι**). Interpretation therefore depends on the lexeme, construction, argument structure, and context rather than a fixed English 'for oneself' gloss.
Future Passive
The **future passive** is built on the **aorist passive stem** + **-σο-** + primary middle/passive endings: **λυθήσομαι** ('I will be loosed'). The -θη- (or -η-) of the aorist passive is preserved: **βαπτισθήσομαι** ('I will be baptized'), **ἀγαπηθήσομαι** ('I will be loved').
**Matt 5:4** — …ὅτι αὐτοὶ **παρακληθήσονται** ('…for they **will be comforted**') — παρακληθήσονται = 3 pl. fut. pass.
Sigma Future
The **ordinary sigma future** uses the appropriate future-system stem with **-σ-** morphology: **λύ- + σ + ω → λύσω**, **πιστευ- + σ + ω → πιστεύσω**. Consonant-final stems show the familiar morphophonological interactions before σ: labial + σ → ψ (**γράφω → γράψω**), velar + σ → ξ, and dental + σ → σ with loss of the dental. For **βαπτίζω → βαπτίσω**, do not segment the visible present spelling as *βαπτισ- + σ*: the future is formed from the appropriate stem/system and its historical consonant interaction with future σ. The learner rule is therefore **identify the future-system stem first**, then analyze the future morphology.
Contract Future
The traditional label 'contract future' is somewhat misleading: many contract verbs form ordinary **sigmatic futures** from a lengthened vowel stem: **ἀγαπάω → ἀγαπήσω**, **πληρόω → πληρώσω**, while **καλέω → καλέσω** keeps ε. The η/ω in these futures are **lengthened stem vowels, not products of an εσ-contraction formula**.
Liquid Future
Many verbs whose relevant stems end in a **liquid or nasal** (λ, μ, ν, ρ) show the characteristic **liquid future**. Historically the future formation involved sigma loss and contraction, yielding forms such as **μένω → μενῶ**, **κρίνω → κρινῶ**, **αἴρω → ἀρῶ**, and **σπείρω → σπερῶ**. The resulting contraction is a characteristic formation pattern, not an infallible surface-only parsing test: a contracted form must still be identified from its **lexeme, paradigm, mood, syntax, and context**. Liquid-future morphology is also distinct from the ordinary present-system contraction of lexical contract verbs.
Irregular Future Stems
Several verbs have **irregular future-system stems** that are not transparently predictable from the visible present-system form. Examples include **πίνω → πίομαι**, **λαμβάνω → λήμψομαι**, and **γινώσκω → γνώσομαι**. These illustrate why the present-system stem is not the whole lexical paradigm. An unpredictable future should not automatically be called **suppletive**: first determine whether the form continues the same lexical/historical stem family with irregular present/future formation or instead uses genuinely distinct stem material. Such forms are learned with the principal parts and lexicon.
Suppletive Futures
**Suppletive futures** use genuinely distinct lexical/historical stem material to fill the future slot. Clear high-frequency examples include **λέγω → ἐρῶ**, **ὁράω → ὄψομαι**, **φέρω → οἴσω**, **ἔρχομαι → ἐλεύσομαι**, and **ἐσθίω → φάγομαι**. Suppletion is narrower than 'irregular': a future is not suppletive merely because it looks different from the present citation form. Forms such as **πίνω → πίομαι** and **λαμβάνω → λήμψομαι** should be treated as irregular future-stem formations unless specific lexical-historical evidence justifies a stronger suppletive classification.
**Matt 26:29** — …οὐ μὴ **πίω** ἀπ' **ἄρτι** ἐκ τούτου … ἕως τῆς **ἡμέρας ἐκείνης** ὅταν **αὐτὸ πίνω μεθ' ὑμῶν** καινὸν ἐν τῇ **βασιλείᾳ τοῦ πατρός μου** ('…I will **certainly not drink** of this fruit of the vine … until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom'). Note: πίω here is the **aorist subjunctive** under οὐ μή — the construction expresses emphatic future denial, but the form itself is not a future indicative.
Future Forms without Simple Predictability
Not every verb's future can be predicted from its present stem. The principal parts (Chapter 23, Appendix Q) must be consulted. When in doubt, look up the future. The high-frequency verbs in §26.8 reward memorization.
Paradigms
Future Active, Middle, and Passive of λύω
Active and middle use ordinary sigmatic future-system morphology with present-like/primary inflection; the future passive uses passive-system morphology plus future formation (e.g. **λυθήσομαι**). **-σω** is characteristic of the 1sg sigmatic future but is not a unique future-indicative marker, because formally identical -σω forms can occur in the first-aorist subjunctive.
| Person | Singular (active) | Plural (active) | Middle | Passive |
| 1st | λύσω 1 sg. I will loose | λύσομεν 1 pl. | λύσομαι | λυθήσομαι |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd | λύσεις | λύσετε | λύσῃ | λυθήσῃ |
| 3rd | λύσει | λύσουσι(ν) | λύσεται | λυθήσεται |
Future Types and Common Irregular Futures
Future formation must be classified by system: regular sigmatic forms, consonant-change sigmatic forms, lengthened-stem contract-verb futures, liquid/nasal futures, irregular future stems, and genuinely suppletive futures. Surface unpredictability alone does not establish suppletion.
| Verb | Present | Future | Type |
| λύω | λύω | λύσω | ordinary sigmatic future |
|---|---|---|---|
| γράφω | γράφω | γράψω | sigmatic future: labial + σ → ψ |
| ἀγαπάω | ἀγαπάω | ἀγαπήσω | lengthened-stem sigmatic future of contract verb |
| μένω | μένω | μενῶ | liquid future (sigma loss + contraction) |
| πίνω | πίνω | πίομαι | irregular future stem; middle morphology |
| λαμβάνω | λαμβάνω | λήμψομαι | irregular future stem; middle morphology |
| λέγω | λέγω | ἐρῶ | suppletive future |
| ὁράω | ὁράω | ὄψομαι | suppletive future; middle morphology |
| ἔρχομαι | ἔρχομαι | ἐλεύσομαι | suppletive/irregular future; middle morphology |
| ἐσθίω | ἐσθίω | φάγομαι | suppletive future; middle morphology |
Chapter glossary
- λύσω — I will loose
lysō
verb
**λύσω**: 1st singular future active indicative of λύω, an ordinary sigmatic future form. Its -σω surface is characteristic of the future system but is not by itself unique to future indicative, since identical-looking first-aorist subjunctive forms can occur.- ἐρῶ — I will say
erō
verb
Suppletive future of λέγω; from a different stem than the present.- ὄψομαι — I will see
opsomai
verb
ὄψομαι is first-person singular future middle indicative of ὁράω, using the suppletive ὀπ- family. English normally renders it ‘I will see’. Describe the actual morphology and lexical sense; traditional deponent terminology, where encountered, does not imply a lost active form or change the Greek voice. See §§48.16–48.17 and80.15.- ἐλεύσομαι — I will come
eleusomai
verb
ἐλεύσομαι is first-person singular future middle indicative in the suppletive paradigm of ἔρχομαι: ‘I will come/go’. The present and future have middle forms, but the aorist ἦλθον and perfect ἐλήλυθα have active forms. A traditional deponent label must therefore be scoped to the relevant system; it does not replace parsing. See §§48.16–48.17.- φάγομαι — I will eat
phagomai
verb
Suppletive future of ἐσθίω, built with middle morphology (lexical middle).- παρακληθήσονται — they will be comforted
paraklēthēsontai
verb
3 pl. future passive of παρακαλέω; future passive uses aor. pass. stem + -σο- (Matt 5:4).- — future
verb
Future tense-system with characteristic prospective/future temporal value. Greek future morphology includes ordinary sigmatic active/middle forms, liquid/nasal futures, irregular and suppletive stems, a distinct future passive, and a rare future-perfect system; its exact viewpoint-aspect classification is theory-dependent.- — sigma future
verb
Ordinary sigmatic future formation using future-system stem + -σ- morphology, e.g. λύσω, πιστεύσω; surface -σω must be distinguished from formally identical first-aorist subjunctive forms by mood and construction.- — liquid future
verb
Characteristic future formation of many liquid/nasal stems in which historical future sigma is lost and contraction produces forms such as μενῶ, κρινῶ; the contracted surface is not by itself a unique parsing diagnostic.- — future passive
verb
Distinct future-passive system built from passive-system morphology plus future formation, e.g. λυθήσομαι. It is morphologically distinct from future-middle λύσομαι, even though some future-middle forms can receive passive interpretation in context.