Like intransitive verbs, future and indefinite tense verbs are composed of a prefix, a verbal base, and a suffix. While the agents (ni, ti, ø, ti, in, ø) function the same, the future tense takes the suffix /z/ for singular and /zceh/ for plural markers.
Verbs in the Nahuatl language are divided in four classes, but here we signal only one. Verbs in class three are those that end in /ia/ and /oa/. When conjugating in the future tense, these verbs lose their final vowel and a /z/ or /zceh/ is added. For example:
Ixcacuatitlan Veracruz CC BY COERLL Nahuatl
Tlachihualiztli Tlen Panoz (Verbs in future or indefinite tense)
ni – (verbal base) – z
ti – (verbal base) – z
ø – (verbal base) – z
ti – (verbal base) – zceh
in – (verbal base) – zceh
ø – (verbal base) – zceh
Tlamanextilli tlen ahahuitiliztli tlen tlachihualiztli (Example of conjugation of verbs)
/tequiti/ “to work”
Nitequitiz “I will work”
Titequitiz “You will work”
Tequitiz “She/he will work”
Titequitizceh “We will work”
Intequitizceh “You (plural) will work”
Tequitizceh “They will work”
/momachtia/ “to study”
/tlacua/ “to eat”
Tlamanextilli tlen tlahtolpamitl pan tlachihualiztli tlen panoz (Examples of sentences in future tense)
Nochocho motlaloz pan caltlamachtihcan.
“My brother will run in the school.”
María huanya ichocho tlachpanazceh moztla.
“Maria and her younger sister will sweep tomorrow.”
Juan ichan maltizceh tlayohua.
“You all will bathe in Juan’s house tonight.”
Nochocho huan na nochipa tinehnemizceh ica tiotlac.
“My younger brother and I will always walk in the afternoons.”
Mario mihtotiz huanya iyoltzin pan tlaixpiyalli.
“Mario will dance with his girlfriend at the dance.”
Tequitl tlen momachtianih (Exercise for the students)
Identify the verbs in future tense, and then conjugate them in present tense.
Moztla ica yahuatzinco nimehuaz, nitlacuaz huan nimopatlaz huanya nochocho. Teipan tiyazceh caltlamachtihcan. Ne caltlamachtihcan tinehnemizceh huan timotlalozceh. Teipan nochocho huan na timocuapazceh ica tiotlac huan timaltizceh tochan.
First conjugate the following verbs into future tense, using all the subject suffixes and numeric suffixes.
Maltia
Choca
Atli
Now make sentences with these verbs in future tense.
Maltia
Choca
Atli