Zukünftigkeit

Zukünftigkeit is a term used in linguistics and philosophy to denote the semantic and temporal property of events or propositions that will occur after the reference time. It contrasts with Gegenwart (the present) and Vergangenheit (the past). In grammar, Zukünftigkeit is commonly encoded by future-tense forms or by periphrastic constructions; in many languages it can also be inferred from context or from aspectual markers.

In grammar, languages differ in how they mark the future. Some have a dedicated future tense; others rely on the present tense with time expressions; yet others use periphrasis with an auxiliary verb. German, for instance, uses supposed near-future constructions with werden plus infinitive to express an upcoming event, as in "Ich werde morgen kommen." The simple present can also refer to the future when accompanied by time adverbs, as in "Morgen regnet es." English commonly uses will or going to for futurity, while some languages rely more on aspect or context than on a separate future form.

Zukünftigkeit is also discussed in the study of language typology, emphasizing that futurity is encoded differently across languages—ranging from explicit future markers to reliance on present tense plus temporal cues. In philosophy of time, the term intersects with debates about the openness of the future and with theories of tense, such as A-theory and B-theory, which address how future events relate to truth, time, and reality. The concept thus captures a core aspect of how speakers encode, reason about, and experience events that are not yet realized.