8.8 – až  future – ‘once, when’

So in one of our last lessons we learned that if you use the word když  future tense, the word když means ‘if’. Review these examples here:

Here with an imperfective future

Když budu mít peníze, můžeme jít do kina.

If I have money, we can go to the movie theater.

Here with an perfective future:

Když uklidíš kuchyni, uvařím pro tebe večeři.

If you clean (lit. will clean) the kitchen, I will make dinner for you.

However, that may have left you wondering “How do I say when with something in the future???”

If you want to say ‘when, once’ with the future tense, instead use až.

Až budu mít volno, budu odpočívat.

When/once I have (lit. will have) free time, I will relax.

Budu pracovat, až budu doma.

I will work once I am home (lit. once I will be home).

Až uděláte ten domácí úkol, můžeme hrát basketbal.

Once you get that homework done (lit. you will do), we can play basketball.

Notice how in English we don’t use the future tense, but in Czech they do (since these events are indeed in the future).