Future meaning in Chinese
Chinese does not use tense in the same way English does. To talk about the future, you often use time words or words like 要 ♬, 會 ♬, and 將要 ♬.
| Word |
Basic meaning |
| 要 ♬ |
going to; about to; planned action |
| 會 ♬ |
will; expected to happen |
| 將要 ♬ |
will soon; is about to, often more formal |
1. 要: going to / about to
Use 要 ♬ when something is planned, close to happening, or expected soon.
| Pattern |
Meaning |
| Subject + 要 + Verb |
Subject is going to do something |
| Chinese |
English |
| 我明天要去台灣。 ♬ |
I am going to Taiwan tomorrow. |
| 他要回家了。 ♬ |
He is about to go home. |
要 often feels connected to a plan, decision, or something that is about to happen.
2. 會: will / expected to happen
Use 會 ♬ when you are talking about something you expect will happen. It is often used for predictions or future results.
| Pattern |
Meaning |
| Subject + 會 + Verb |
Subject will do something / something will happen |
| Chinese |
English |
| 明天會下雨。 ♬ |
It will rain tomorrow. |
| 這個方法會有用。 ♬ |
This method will be useful. |
會 does not always show a personal plan. It often shows what the speaker thinks will happen.
3. 將要: will soon / is about to
將要 ♬ also expresses future meaning, but it sounds more formal than 要 and 會. It is common in news, announcements, and written Chinese.
| Pattern |
Meaning |
| Subject + 將要 + Verb |
Subject will soon do something / is about to do something |
| Chinese |
English |
| 會議將要開始。 ♬ |
The meeting is about to begin. |
| 新的計畫將要公布。 ♬ |
The new plan will soon be announced. |
In daily conversation, beginners can usually use 要 or 會. Use 將要 when you want a more formal tone.
4. Simple comparison
| Chinese |
English |
Feeling |
| 我明天要去台灣。 ♬ |
I am going to Taiwan tomorrow. |
A plan |
| 我明天會去台灣。 ♬ |
I will go to Taiwan tomorrow. |
A future statement |
| 我將要去台灣。 ♬ |
I will soon go to Taiwan. |
More formal |
Useful words and example sentences
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