Lesson 17 of 47 · St. Ann
Talk about the future with a go, gwine and wi, and negate it with naa go
The future in Patois is built with little markers in front of the bare verb. Rule one: a go is the everyday future: Mi a go tell im (I'm going to tell him). Wi a go a Ocho Rios tumaro (we're going to Ocho Rios tomorrow). Rule two: gwine is the older, more emphatic form — you'll hear it from elders and in songs: Yuh gwine sarry if yuh no listen (you're going to be sorry if you don't listen). Rule three: wi means 'will', for promises and predictions: Yuh wi see (you'll see). Mi wi done di wuk soon (I will finish the work soon). You may also hear the short o: Im o come (he'll come). Rule four: the negative future is naa go: Dem naa go like dis ya news (they're not going to like this news). Mi naa go deh-deh (I won't be there). And keep soon come for arrivals: Granny soon come — shi jus gaan a shap. Examples: (1) Mi a go tell im di trute tumaro. (2) Rain a go fall lata — kyai yuh umbrella. (3) Yuh wi see — everyting a go work out. (4) Wi gwine reach before dark (we're going to arrive before dark). (5) Mi naa go nyam dat! (I am not going to eat that!) (6) Di mango-dem wi ripe by nex' week. (7) If yuh plant i nung, i wi bear nex' year (if you plant it now, it will bear next year). (8) Two twos mi wi ready (I'll be ready in a flash). Common errors to recast: mixing markers ('mi will a go' — recast: pick one, mi a go or mi wi go); reaching for English 'gonna' (recast to a go); negating with 'no a go' (recast: naa go). A St. Ann note for flavour: Marcus Garvey spent his whole life talking future — big plans need future forms! Have the learner make five promises with wi and five plans with a go.
| Patois | Cassidy-JLU | English |
|---|---|---|
| a go | a go | going to (future marker) |
| gwine | gwain | going to (older, emphatic) |
| wi | wi | will |
| naa go | naa go | not going to |
| soon come | suun kom | will arrive eventually |
| tumaro | tumaro | tomorrow |
| lata | lieta | later |
| nex' week | neks wiik | next week |
| nung | nong | now |
| done | don | finish |
| two twos | tuu tuuz | in a flash |
| if God spare life | if Gad spier laif | God willing |
The future auxiliaries this lesson teaches — wi, from will, and gwine — are both described here.
The description of the grammar is checked against the published work above. The lesson, the examples and the wording are mine.
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