Using the Future Tense for Assumptions in Italian

In Italian, it’s quite common to use the future tense to express guesses or assumptions.

This usage is technically known as futuro epistemico (epistemic future) or futuro di supposizione (future of supposition). It refers to using the future tense to make assumptions, conjectures, or guesses about the present or the past.

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Let’s see how it works in practice.

• Che ore sono? (What time is it?)

• Non lo so. Saranno le dieci. (I don’t know, it’s probably 10 o’clock.)

Here, saranno literally means “they will be,” which doesn’t make sense unless you’re aware of this particular usage in Italian. In this context, the future tense indicates that the speaker is making a guess or assumption.

Here are a few more examples:

• Ha pagato la cena per tutti. Avrà speso 200 euro.
  (He paid for dinner for everyone. He must have spent 200 euros.)

• Non mi risponde al telefono, sarà occupato.
  (He’s not answering the phone; he’s likely busy.)

• Sta tornando dalla maratona, sarà stanco morto.
  (He’s returning from the marathon; he must be dead tired.)

• Non è venuta alla festa; avrà avuto un contrattempo.
  (She didn’t come to the party; she must have had a mishap.)

• Il treno è in ritardo, ci sarà stato un problema tecnico.
  (The train is delayed; there was probably a technical problem.)

Here is a peculiar one:

• Come certamente saprai, non amo aspettare.
  (As you certainly know, I don’t like waiting.)

This last example is particularly interesting because it uses the word certamente (certainly) but then softens it with the epistemic future saprai. In the end, it’s slightly less definite than saying come sai (as you know), making it a bit more polite or indirect.

Why more polite? Because the future tense implies that, while you expect the other person to know this information, you're allowing for the possibility that they might not.

Make sure you practice this peculiar use of the future tense with the exercises below. Please note that some of these exercises are fairly advanced, so don’t feel bad if you struggle with them.

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Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences with the appropriate future form:

1. È molto giovane. ______________ (avere) 19 anni.

2. Luca non risponde al telefono. ______________ (essere) occupato.

3. Non vedo Giulia da settimane. ______________ (essere) in vacanza.

4. Non vedo Giulia da settimane. ______________ (andare) in vacanza.

5. Marco non è venuto alla festa. ______________ (dimenticarsi) dell’invito.

6. Sono alla stazione ma non lo vedo. ______________ (perdere) il treno.

Exercise 2: Translate

Translate the following sentences into Italian using the future tense to express speculation:

1. He must be tired after working all day.

2. It's probably around 8 PM.

3. She has not arrived yet; she is probably still on her way.

4. There must have been at least 50 people at the party.

5. They must have left early because of the traffic.

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Answer Key