The past and the future together let you place any event anywhere in time — the single largest capability jump available at this stage. But Malayalam does something with the future that English does not, and understanding it is the point of this episode. THE PLAIN FUTURE — the ending is -ഉം on the verb stem ഞാൻ പോകും I will go · ഞാൻ വരും I will come · ഞാൻ കഴിക്കും I will eat · ഞാൻ പറയും I will say · ഞാൻ ചെയ്യും I will do Simple, regular, and it works for every person. There is no conjugation for I, you, he, we or they. പോകും is I will go, you will go, they will go. One of the great mercies of this language — Spanish would have given you six forms and Russian more. NOW THE COMPLICATION, AND IT IS AN INTERESTING ONE That same -ഉം ending is ALSO the habitual present. ഞാൻ ചായ കുടിക്കും can mean "I will drink tea" or "I drink tea" as a habit. Malayalam does not separate them. So how does anyone know? Context and time words. നാളെ ഞാൻ ചായ കുടിക്കും — tomorrow → future ഞാൻ എന്നും ചായ കുടിക്കും — every day → habitual This fusion is not unusual, and it reflects something true: both are statements about what is not happening right now but can be relied upon. English does it in the other direction, using the present for the future constantly — "the train leaves at six", "I am seeing him tomorrow". English speakers do not notice how strange that is until they teach it. THE TIME WORDS THAT PIN IT DOWN നാളെ tomorrow · മറ്റന്നാൾ day after tomorrow · അടുത്ത ആഴ്ച next week · അടുത്ത മാസം next month · അടുത്ത വർഷം next year · ഇനി from now on · പിന്നീട് later · ഉടനെ soon · കുറച്ച് കഴിഞ്ഞ് after a while · ഒരിക്കൽ one day Quizzes below. Dr. Reshmi R Nair — SpeakMalayalam.