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### The Future Prefix (سـ)

To talk about the future in Arabic, you do not need to learn a whole new set of verb conjugations. Instead, simply attach the prefix سـ directly to the beginning of a present tense verb. This acts just like the English word "will."

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### The Future Word (سوف)

Another way to express the future tense is to use the word سوف. It is placed right before the present tense verb, but unlike سـ, it is written as a separate, standalone word. 

While سـ and سوف are largely interchangeable in everyday communication, سوف is sometimes used to talk about the slightly more distant future or to give the sentence a slightly more formal tone.

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### Making Travel Plans

When discussing future plans and upcoming vacations, you will often pair these future tense markers with adverbs of time such as غدا (tomorrow), قريبا (soon), or the adjective القادم (next / coming). 

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The future tense (سـ / سوف)

adjective

adverb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

interrogative

noun

numeral

particle

prefix

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

The definite article and locatives (الـ)

Basic noun gender (ة)

Sun and moon letters

Singular subject pronouns (أنا، أنت، هو، هي)

Indefinite nouns and nominal sentences (ـٌ)

Demonstrative pronouns for 'this' (هذا / هذه)

Separate prepositions (في، من، إلى، على)

Attributive adjectives

Predicative adjectives

Yes/No questions (هل، أ)

Basic questions (من، ما، أين)

Singular possessive pronouns (ـي، ـك، ـه، ـها)

Plural subject pronouns (نحن، أنتم، هم)

Plural possessive pronouns (ـنا، ـكم، ـهم)

Noun possession

Attached prepositions (بـ، لـ، كـ)

Pronouns with prepositions

Having and possessing (عند، لـ، مع)

Regular plural nouns (ـون، ـين، ـات)

Broken plurals

Dual nouns (ـان / ـين)

Plural and distant demonstratives (هؤلاء، ذلك، تلك)

Non-human plural agreement

Present tense singular verbs

Verbal sentences (VSO)

Present tense plural verbs

Topicalized sentences (SVO)

The indefinite accusative case (ـاً)

Verb object pronouns (-ني، -ك، -ه)

Present tense negation (لا)

Question words with verbs (متى، كيف...)

Adverbs of time and place

Intentions and desires (أن)

Negating states and possession (ليس)

Past tense singular suffixes

Past tense plural suffixes

Negating past events (ما)

Singular commands

Numbers 1 to 10

Number agreement for 1 and 2 (واحد، اثنان)

Asking how many (كم)

Numbers 3 to 10 (ثلاثة إلى عشرة)

Ordinal numbers 1 to 10 (الأول، الثاني)

Basic conjunctions (فـ، أو، لكن)

Ordering at a café (واحد، اثنان)

Food and drink with conjunctions (و، ف، أو، لكن)

There is and there are (هناك / ليس هناك)

Direct address (يا)

Giving reasons (لأنّ)

Relative pronouns (الذي / التي)

Quantifiers (كل / بعض)

The past tense of 'to be' (كان)

Past possession

Numbers 11 to 19 and tens to 80

Telling time (الساعة)

This book vs this is a book (هذا الكتاب، هذا كتاب)

Greetings (مرحبا، السلام عليكم)

How are you? and goodbye (كيف حالك، مع السلامة)

Nationalities (مصري، مصرية)

Roots and patterns (كتب، كتاب، مكتب)

Politeness (من فضلك، آسف)

Complex possession chains

Colors and traits (أفعل / فعلاء)

Plural colors and traits (فُعْل)

Comparative adjectives (أفعل من)

Superlative adjectives (أفعل)

Adverbs of manner (ـاً)

The nominative case (ـُ)

The genitive case (ـِ)

The accusative case (ـَ)

Dual noun cases (ـان / ـين)

Masculine plurals and 'the best of' (أفضل النجارين)

Emphasizing sentences (إنّ)

Connecting clauses (أنّ)

Reporting speech (قال إنّ)

Expressing contrast (لكنّ)

Comparison and probability (كأنّ, لعلّ)

Distant plural pointing (أولئك)

Plural relative pronouns (الذين, اللواتي)

Past habits (كان + present)

Ongoing actions (ما زال)

Masculine plurals online (مبرمجون، مؤثرون)

Perfective past (قد)

Probability (قد)

The subjunctive mood (أن)

Expressing purpose (لـ)

Question	Answer
will	سوفsawfa
vacation	عطلة'utla
The vacation will start tomorrow.	ستبدأ العطلة غدا.satabda'u al-'utlatu ghadan
What will we do in the vacation?	ماذا سنفعل في العطلة؟mâdhâ sanaf'alu fî al-'utlati؟
plan	خطةkhutta
together	معاma'an
We will read the plan together.	سنقرأ الخطة معا.sanaqra'u al-khuttata ma'an
Egypt	مصرmisr
We will travel to Egypt in the vacation.	سوف نسافر إلى مصر في العطلة.sawfa nusâfiru ilâ misra fî al-'utlati.
to book	حجزhajaza
When will you book the ticket to Egypt?	متى سوف تحجز التذكرة إلى مصر؟matâ sawfa tahjizu t-tadhkirata ilâ misra?
to stay	بقيbaqiya
I will book a hotel and we will stay there.	سأحجز فندقا وسنبقى هناك.sa'aḥjizu funduqan wasanabqâ hunâka
beach	شاطئshâti'
Will you (pl.) stay on the beach together?	هل ستبقون على الشاطئ معا؟hal satabqawna 'alâ ash-shâti'i ma'an?
to visit	زارzâra
I will visit the beach tomorrow morning.	سأزور الشاطئ غدا صباحا.sa'azûru ash-shâti'a ghadan sabâhan.
They will visit the family soon.	سوف يزورون العائلة قريبا.sawfa yazûrûna al-'â'ilata qarîban
We will return to the hotel soon.	سوف نرجع إلى الفندق قريبا.sawfa narjiu ilâ al-funduqi qarîban.
We will visit Egypt soon, this is an excellent plan.	سوف نزور مصر قريبا، هذه خطة ممتازة.sawfa nazûru misra qarîban, hâdhihi khuttatun mumtâzatun.
will (future prefix)	سsa
next / coming	قادمqâdim
We will travel to Egypt next month.	سنسافر إلى مصر الشهر القادم.sanusâfiru ilâ misra ash-shahra al-qâdim.
What will you do on your next vacation?	ماذا سوف تفعل في عطلتك القادمة؟mâdhâ sawfa tafalu fî utlatika al-qâdimah
trip / journey / flight	رحلةriħla
I will book a hotel for the trip.	سأحجز فندقا للرحلة.sa'ahjizu funduqan lilrihlati.
We will return from the trip tomorrow.	سنرجع من الرحلة غدا.sanarji'u minar-rihlati ghadan
This is a beautiful plan, and we will start tomorrow.	هذه خطة جميلة، وسوف نبدأ غدا.hâdhihi khuttatun jamîlatun, wa sawfa nabda'u ghadan
maybe	ربماrubbamâ
Maybe we will visit the museum tomorrow.	ربما نزور المتحف غدا.rubbamâ nazûru al-mat-hafa ghadan
Maybe he will stay at the hotel.	ربما يبقى في الفندق.rubbamâ yabqâ fî l-funduq
the weekend	نهاية الأسبوعnihâyatu al-usbû'
We will travel at the weekend.	سنسافر في نهاية الأسبوع.sanusaafiru fi nihaayati al-usbuu'.
What will you do at the weekend?	ماذا ستفعل في نهاية الأسبوع؟mâdhâ sataf'alu fî nihâyati al-usbû'?

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