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

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*还有 十 天 宝宝 <em>就</em> 一 岁 了。<span class="pinyin">Háiyǒu shí tiān bǎobǎo <em>jiù</em> yī suì le.</span><span class="trans">In ten more days, the baby will be one year old.</span>
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*<em>还有</em> 十 天 宝宝 <em>就</em> 一 岁 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Háiyǒu</em> shí tiān bǎobao <em>jiù</em> yī suì le.</span><span class="trans">In ten more days, the baby will be one year old.</span>
*还有 十 分钟 <em>就</em> 下班 了。<span class="pinyin">Háiyǒu shí fēnzhōng <em>jiù</em> xiàbān le.</span><span class="trans">In 10 more minutes I get off work.</span>
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*<em>还有</em> 十 分钟 <em>就</em> 下班 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Háiyǒu</em> shí fēnzhōng <em>jiù</em> xiàbān le.</span><span class="trans">In 10 more minutes I get off work.</span>
*还有 五 天 <em>就要</em> 放假 了。<span class="pinyin">Háiyǒu wǔ tiān <em>jiù yào</em> fàngjià le.</span><span class="trans">In 10 more days, I go on vacation.</span>
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*<em>还有</em> 五 天 <em>就要</em> 放假 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Háiyǒu</em> wǔ tiān <em>jiù yào</em> fàngjià le.</span><span class="trans">In 10 more days, I go on vacation.</span>
*还有 一 个 月 <em>就要</em> 过年 了。<span class="pinyin">Háiyǒu yī gè yuè <em>jiù yào</em> guònián le.</span><span class="trans">In another month it will be Chinese New Year.</span>
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*<em>还有</em> 一 个 月 <em>就要</em> 过年 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Háiyǒu</em> yī gè yuè <em>jiù yào</em> guònián le.</span><span class="trans">In another month it will be Chinese New Year.</span>
*还有 两 个 星期 <em>就要</em> 考试 了。<span class="pinyin">Háiyǒu liǎng gè xīngqí <em>jiù yào</em> kǎoshì le.</span><span class="trans">We're just two weeks away from the test date.</span>
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*<em>还有</em> 两 个 星期 <em>就要</em> 考试 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Háiyǒu</em> liǎng gè xīngqí <em>jiù yào</em> kǎoshì le.</span><span class="trans">We're just two weeks away from the test date.</span>
  
 
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Revision as of 01:47, 13 September 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.

Basic Usage

Structure

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

(Subj. +) 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?

Used with 还有

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 bǎobao 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