Potawatomi tense markers are what mark when something takes place - in the past, present, or future. The most commonly used Potawatomi tense markers fall into two categories: Independent and Subordinate. There are other tenses and verb conjugations as well, but these are the most basic forms...
Independent Tense Markers:
| Past | Present | Future | Immediate Future | Future Uncertain |
| gi | de | wi | ge | da |
Using the verb Zhya (to go) as an example:
| Nin | I, me, my, mine | |
| Nde zhya | I go | |
| Ngi zhya | I went | |
| Nwi zhya | I will go | |
| Nge zhya | I am about to go | |
| Nda zhya | I can, could, should go |
| Win | He or She, Him or Her | |||||||||||||||||||
| De zhyé | He/she goes | |||||||||||||||||||
| Gi zhyé | He/she went | |||||||||||||||||||
| Wi zhyé | He/she will go | |||||||||||||||||||
| Ge zhyé | He/she is about to go | |||||||||||||||||||
Da zhyé |
He/she can, could, should go |
| Ginan | We including you (Inclusive), Our | |
| Gde zhyamen | We all go | |
| Ggi zhyamen | We all went | |
| Gwi zhyamen | We all will go | |
| Gge zhyamen | We all are about to go/Let's go | |
| Gda zhyamen | We all can/could/should go |
| Winwa | They, Their, Theirs | |
| De zhyék | They go | |
| Gi zhyék | They went | |
| Wi zhyék | They will go | |
| Ge zhyék | They are about to go | |
| Da zhyék | They can/could/should go |
Next: Subordinate Tense Markers
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| Ginwa | You all (plural), Your, Yours | |
| Gde zhyam | You all go | |
| Ggi zhyam | You all went | |
| Gwi zhyam | You all will go | |
| Gge zhyam | You all are about to go | |
| Gda zhyam | You all can/could/should go |
| Ninan | We but not you (Exclusive), Our | |
| Nde zhyamen | We but not you go | |
| Ngi zhyamen | We (not you) went | |
| Nwi zhyamen | We (not you) will go | |
| Nge zhyamen | We (not you) are about to go | |
| Nda zhyamen | We (not you) can/could/should go |