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Using the future perfect
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By Bieneke Berendsen

We use the future perfect to say that something will have been completed at some point in the future. If I have to finish an assignment by tomorrow, I could say "I will have finished it tomorrow".

ik zal hebben/zijn + pp
je zult/zal hebben/zijn + pp
hij zal hebben/zijn + pp
we zullen hebben/zijn + pp
jullie zullen hebben/zijn + pp
ze zullen hebben/zijn + pp

In Dutch, this tense is quite uncommon. Instead of the future perfect, the Dutch usually opt for the present perfect.

[future perfect - less common]
Morgen zal ze het allemaal zijn vergeten.
Tomorrow, she will have forgotten all about it.
[present perfect - common]
Morgen is ze het allemaal vergeten.
Tomorrow, she has forgotten all about it.
[future perfect - less common]
Als de crisis voorbij is, zal het probleem nog niet zijn opgelost.
When the crisis is over, the problem will not have been solved yet.
[present perfect - common]
Als de crisis voorbij is, is het probleem nog niet opgelost.
When the crisis is over, the problem is not solved yet.

The Dutch basically say: "Tomorrow, she has forgotten all about it", and "When the crisis is over, the problem is not solved yet" (instead of "... she will have forgotten ...", and "... the problem will not have been solved ...").

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Last updated on July 06, 2008 ::