2 · Aspect: le, guo, zhe and zai
About to happen: yào … le, kuài … le, jiù yào … le
the imminent future
Yào, kuài or jiù yào before the verb and le at the end say that something is just about to happen.
To say that something is about to happen, Chinese puts 要 before the verb and 了 at the end: 火车要开了, “the train is about to leave”. The 了 is the sentence-final 了 of change — the new situation is at the door — and it is the clearest proof that 了 is not a past tense: nothing in this sentence has happened yet.
There are several versions of the frame. 快…了 and 快要…了 stress “soon, almost”, and 快 can also stand before a number or a time: 快十二点了, “it’s almost twelve”, 我快三十岁了, “I’m nearly thirty”. 就要…了 means “very soon” and, like plain 要…了, can take an exact time word, which 快 and 快要 cannot: 下个月就要毕业了, “I graduate next month”.
The final 了 cannot be left out. Without it, 要 is the modal verb “want to” or “will”: 我要走 is a decision, “I want to go”, while 我要走了 is “I’m off now”.
English speakers make two mistakes with this frame. They hear the 了 and take the sentence for the past, or they combine 快 or 快要 with a precise time word. “Soon” and “tomorrow at nine” do not go together; with a time word, use 就要.
The form
| about to | 火车要开了。 |
| soon | 火车快开了。 |
| soon, the fuller form | 火车快要开了。 |
| with an exact time | 火车十点就要开了。 |
| almost a number | 我快三十岁了。 |
| asking | 电影要开始了吗？ |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
Yào before the verb and le at the end: it is about to happen.
飞机要起飞了。The plane is about to take off.
Kuài, or kuàiyào, adds “soon, almost”.
天快黑了，我们回去吧。It’s nearly dark — let’s go back.
Kuài can stand directly before a number or a time: almost.
快十二点了。It’s almost twelve o’clock.
With an exact time word, use jiù yào (or plain yào), not kuài or kuàiyào.
下个星期我就要回国了。I’m going back to my country next week.
Without the final le, yào is only “want to” or “will”.
我要走了，明天见！I’m off now — see you tomorrow!
A closer look
Why a sentence about the future ends in le
Sentence-final 了 marks a change of situation. 要…了 places that change just ahead: the state of affairs “the train has not left” is about to become “the train has left”, and the sentence says that we are already standing at the edge between the two.
That is also why the frame has no negative of its own. To say that something is not about to happen, Chinese says that it has not happened yet (还没…呢) or that it will not happen (不会).
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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the frame stands inside a time clause with 的时候
the le drops: the clause only says when, it does not report a change.
快要下课的时候，老师给我们留了作业。Just before the end of the lesson, the teacher set us some homework.
Sentence-final 了 belongs to a whole sentence that tells the listener something new. A clause that only sets the time for the main sentence has nothing to report.
How to spot it
- 要…了
- 快…了
- 快要…了
- 就要…了
- 马上
Example sentences
快点儿，电影快要开始了！Hurry up — the film’s about to start!
我姐姐下个月就要结婚了。My older sister is getting married next month.
手机快没电了。My phone has almost no battery left.
要下雨了，别忘了带伞。It’s going to rain — don’t forget your umbrella.
我们快到了，再等五分钟。We’re nearly there — five more minutes.
天这么冷，快下雪了吧？It’s so cold — it’ll snow soon, won’t it?
8 more example sentences
春节快到了，大家都很忙。The Spring Festival is almost here, and everyone is busy.
他快六十岁了，身体还很好。He’s nearly sixty and still in very good health.
饭马上就要好了，你们先坐一下。Dinner is almost ready — sit down for a moment.
假期快结束了。The holidays are nearly over.
比赛要开始了，请大家坐好。The match is about to begin — please take your seats.
我的钱快花完了。I’ve almost spent all my money.
他们明年就要搬家了。They’re moving house next year.
这本书我快看完了。I’ve nearly finished this book.
Worth knowing (1)
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Kuài … le without a verb
快…了 also frames a time, a date or an age with no verb at all: 快八点了, “it’s nearly eight”. 要 cannot do this, because it needs a verb after it.
快八点了，他怎么还没来？It’s almost eight — why isn’t he here yet?
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
快要 means “soon, at some point close”, which clashes with an exact time like 明天. With a time word, the frame is 就要…了: “as soon as tomorrow”.
Yào … le looks forward: the le is the change that is about to come.
Your turn
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