Difference between revisions of "Expressing "about to" with "jiuyao""

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== 就要 Used without Time Word ==
 
== 就要 Used without Time Word ==
  
Colloquially, you can just say instead of 快要. But 就要 can't be used that way.
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In this case, 就要 can be replaced by 快要 or 快. But 就要 can't be  
  
 
=== Structure ===
 
=== Structure ===
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
快(要)+ Verb Phrase + 了
 
</div>
 
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
*我 <em>快</em> 饿 死 了。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>kuài </em> è sǐ le.</span><span class="trans">I'm about to starve to death.</span>
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*他 <em>快要</em> 去 美国 了。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>kuài yào</em> qù Měiguó le.</span><span class="trans">He's about to go to the USA.</span>
 
*他 <em>快要</em> 去 美国 了。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>kuài yào</em> qù Měiguó le.</span><span class="trans">He's about to go to the USA.</span>
 
*<em>快</em> 下 雨 了!<span class="pinyin"><em>Kuài</em> xià yǔ le!</span><span class="trans">It's about to rain!</span>
 
*<em>快</em> 下 雨 了!<span class="pinyin"><em>Kuài</em> xià yǔ le!</span><span class="trans">It's about to rain!</span>
 +
*我 <em>就要</em> 饿 死 了。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>jiù yào</em> è sǐ le.</span><span class="trans">I'm about to starve to death.</span>
 
*他们 <em>就要</em> 结婚 了。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen <em>jiù yào</em> jiéhūn le.</span><span class="trans">They are about to get married.</span>
 
*他们 <em>就要</em> 结婚 了。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen <em>jiù yào</em> jiéhūn le.</span><span class="trans">They are about to get married.</span>
 
*<em>就要</em> 下课 了,还有 别的 问题 吗?<span class="pinyin"><em>Jiù yào</em> xiàkè le, háiyǒu bié de wèntí ma?</span><span class="trans">The class is almost over. Are there any other questions?</span>
 
*<em>就要</em> 下课 了,还有 别的 问题 吗?<span class="pinyin"><em>Jiù yào</em> xiàkè le, háiyǒu bié de wèntí ma?</span><span class="trans">The class is almost over. Are there any other questions?</span>

Revision as of 07:08, 28 July 2017

就要 (jiùyào) is similar to 快要 (kuàiyào), meaning "about to." They are interchangeable in some cases. But there is a major difference that you need to take a good look at.

就要 Used without Time Word

In this case, 就要 can be replaced by 快要 or 快. But 就要 can't be

Structure

就要 + Verb Phrase + 了

Examples

  • 快要 去 美国 了。kuài yào qù Měiguó le.He's about to go to the USA.
  • 下 雨 了!Kuài xià yǔ le!It's about to rain!
  • 就要 饿 死 了。jiù yào è sǐ le.I'm about to starve to death.
  • 他们 就要 结婚 了。Tāmen jiù yào jiéhūn le.They are about to get married.
  • 就要 下课 了,还有 别的 问题 吗?Jiù yào xiàkè le, háiyǒu bié de wèntí ma?The class is almost over. Are there any other questions?

就要 Used with Time Word

快要 (kuài yào) is generally "about to" [happen], but 就要 (jiù yào) could be used to mark a more specific time. 要 (yào) here can be omitted. For this one, you wouldn't normally use "about to" for this English translation, but the feeling is nevertheless that the impending event is coming up fast.

Structure

还有 + Time Period + 就(要) + Verb Phrase + 了

Examples

  • 还有 十 天 宝宝 一 岁 了。Háiyǒu shí tiān bǎobǎo jiù yī suì le.In ten more days, the baby will be one year old.
  • 还有 十 分钟 下班 了。Háiyǒu shí fēnzhōng jiù xiàbān le.In 10 more minutes I get off work.
  • 还有 五 天 就要 放假 了。Háiyǒu wǔ tiān jiù yào fàngjià le.In 10 more days, I go on vacation.
  • 还有 一 个 月 就要 过年 了。Háiyǒu yī gè yuè jiù yào guònián le.In another month it will be Chinese New Year.
  • 还有 两 个 星期 就要 考试 了。Háiyǒu liǎng gè xīngqí jiù yào kǎoshì le.We're just two weeks away from the test date.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Websites