§468. Tenses of the Indicative

The Present, especially in colloquial language and poetry, is often used for the Future:—

• īmusne sessum (De Or. 3.17), shall we take a seat? (are we going to sit?)
• hodiē uxōrem dūcis (Ter. And. 321), are you to be married to-day?
• quod sī fit, pereō funditus (id. 244), if this happens, I am utterly undone.
• ecquid mē adiuvās (Clu. 71), won't you give me a little help?
• in iūs vocō tē. nōn eō. nōn īs (Pl. Asin. 480), I summon you to the court. I won't go. You won't?

For other uses of the Present in a future sense, see under Conditions (§ 516. a. N.), antequam and priusquam (§ 551. c), dum (§ 553. N. 2), and § 444. a. N.

Historical Present