For autodidact students of Mandarin, the CSV entry for Lesson 40 is "will" — the English future auxiliary. Lesson 37 already covered 会 (huì) as one way to express futurity. This lesson focuses on 将 (jiāng) and 将要 (jiāngyào) — the formal literary future markers — and deepens the learner's understanding of how Chinese handles time without a grammatical future tense.
Chinese expresses future events through: context and time words (明天, 下周), modal 会 (prediction/likelihood), 要 (yào, intending to / about to), and the literary 将 / 将要 (formal announcements, written Chinese, formal speech). 将 is rarely heard in everyday conversation but is pervasive in formal written Chinese — news reports, official announcements, contracts, and literary prose.
Key Takeaways: - 将 (jiāng): literary/formal "will/shall" — written Chinese, announcements - 将要 (jiāngyào): "is about to / will soon" — slightly less formal than 将 alone - 快要…了 (kuài yào…le): "is about to / is almost about to" — imminent, conversational - 要 (yào): intending to / about to — common in speech - Chinese has no future tense — time is marked by words and context, not verb endings
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将 is a compound character: 爿 (páng, half of a split log — the left half) combined with 寸 (cùn, inch/measure, representing a hand). The original meaning was "to hold in the hand / to take and carry forward." This sense of carrying something forward — into the future — underlies all its modern uses: carrying an action forward (will do), carrying an army forward (general/commander: 将军 jiāngjūn), and carrying a gesture forward in social exchange (to give/offer: 将书给我 give me the book).
将军 (jiāngjūn, general — military commander) is worth noting: 将 in this compound is pronounced jiàng (4th tone), not jiāng (1st tone). The military 将 is a different tone from the future 将. Context and tone distinguish them.
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40.1a 太阳 sun 将 will 从 from 东方 east 升起 rise
40.1b (tàiyáng) sun (jiāng) will (cóng) from (dōngfāng) east (shēng qǐ) rise
40.2a 会议 meeting 将 will 于 at 明天 tomorrow 下午 afternoon 三点 three-o'clock 举行 be-held
40.2b (huìyì) meeting (jiāng) will (yú) at (míngtiān) tomorrow (xiàwǔ) afternoon (sān diǎn) three-o'clock (jǔxíng) be-held
40.3a 火车 train 快要 is-about-to 开 depart 了 PERF
40.3b (huǒchē) train (kuài yào) is-about-to (kāi) depart (le) PERF
40.4a 她 she 要 is-going-to 去 go 北京 Beijing 出差 business-trip 了 PERF
40.4b (tā) she (yào) is-going-to (qù) go (Běijīng) Beijing (chūchāi) business-trip (le) PERF
40.5a 这个 this 项目 project 将 will 在 in 六 six 个月 months 内 within 完成 complete
40.5b (zhège) this (xiàngmù) project (jiāng) will (zài) in (liù) six (gè yuè) months (nèi) within (wánchéng) complete
40.6a 春天 spring 将 will 到来 arrive
40.6b (chūntiān) spring (jiāng) will (dào lái) arrive
40.7a 这 this 将 will 是 be 一段 one-CL 重要 important 的 DE 历史 history
40.7b (zhè) this (jiāng) will (shì) be (yī duàn) one-CL (zhòngyào) important (de) DE (lìshǐ) history
40.8a 快要 is-about-to 下雨 rain 了 PERF ， , 快 quick 把 BA 衣服 clothes 收 collect 进去 inside
40.8b (kuài yào) is-about-to (xià yǔ) rain (le) PERF (kuài) quick (bǎ) BA (yīfu) clothes (shōu) collect (jìnqù) inside
40.9a 我 I 要 am-going-to 告诉 tell 你 you 一件 one-CL 事 thing
40.9b (wǒ) I (yào) am-going-to (gàosu) tell (nǐ) you (yī jiàn) one-CL (shì) thing
40.10a 改革 reform 将 will 带来 bring 新的 new-DE 机遇 opportunities
40.10b (gǎigé) reform (jiāng) will (dài lái) bring (xīn de) new-DE (jīyù) opportunities
40.11a 太阳 sun 快要 is-about-to 落山 set 了 PERF
40.11b (tàiyáng) sun (kuài yào) is-about-to (luò shān) set (le) PERF
40.12a 他 he 将 will 成为 become 这个 this-CL 时代 era 最 most 重要 important 的 DE 人 person 之一 one-of
40.12b (tā) he (jiāng) will (chéngwéi) become (zhège) this-CL (shídài) era (zuì) most (zhòngyào) important (de) DE (rén) person (zhīyī) one-of
40.13a 我们 we 要 are-going-to 一起 together 面对 face 未来 future 的 DE 挑战 challenges
40.13b (wǒmen) we (yào) are-going-to (yīqǐ) together (miàndui) face (wèilái) future (de) DE (tiǎozhàn) challenges
40.14a 历史 history 将 will 记住 remember 这 this 一天 one-day
40.14b (lìshǐ) history (jiāng) will (jì zhù) remember (zhè) this (yī tiān) one-day
40.15a 不管 no-matter 将来 future 怎样 how ， , 此刻 this-moment 都 all 值得 worth 珍惜 cherish
40.15b (bù guǎn) no-matter (jiānglái) future (zěnyàng) how (cǐ kè) this-moment (dōu) all (zhíde) worth (zhēnxī) cherish
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40.1 太阳将从东方升起。 "The sun will rise from the east."
40.2 会议将于明天下午三点举行。 "The meeting will be held at three o'clock tomorrow afternoon."
40.3 火车快要开了。 "The train is about to depart."
40.4 她要去北京出差了。 "She is going to go to Beijing on a business trip."
40.5 这个项目将在六个月内完成。 "This project will be completed within six months."
40.6 春天将到来。 "Spring will arrive."
40.7 这将是一段重要的历史。 "This will be an important piece of history."
40.8 快要下雨了，快把衣服收进去。 "It's about to rain — quickly bring the clothes inside."
40.9 我要告诉你一件事。 "I am going to tell you something."
40.10 改革将带来新的机遇。 "Reform will bring new opportunities."
40.11 太阳快要落山了。 "The sun is about to set."
40.12 他将成为这个时代最重要的人之一。 "He will become one of the most important people of this era."
40.13 我们要一起面对未来的挑战。 "We are going to face the challenges of the future together."
40.14 历史将记住这一天。 "History will remember this day."
40.15 不管将来怎样，此刻都值得珍惜。 "No matter what the future brings, this moment is worth cherishing."
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40.1 太阳将从东方升起。 40.2 会议将于明天下午三点举行。 40.3 火车快要开了。 40.4 她要去北京出差了。 40.5 这个项目将在六个月内完成。 40.6 春天将到来。 40.7 这将是一段重要的历史。 40.8 快要下雨了，快把衣服收进去。 40.9 我要告诉你一件事。 40.10 改革将带来新的机遇。 40.11 太阳快要落山了。 40.12 他将成为这个时代最重要的人之一。 40.13 我们要一起面对未来的挑战。 40.14 历史将记住这一天。 40.15 不管将来怎样，此刻都值得珍惜。
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These are the grammar rules for expressing future in Mandarin — 将 (jiāng), 要 (yào), 快要 (kuài yào), and 会 (huì):
No grammatical future tense:
Chinese verbs do not inflect for tense. Future meaning is carried by: - Time words: 明天 (tomorrow), 下周 (next week), 以后 (afterwards) - Modal verbs: 会, 将, 要, 快要 - Context
将 (jiāng) — formal literary future:
将 appears in written announcements, formal reports, official language, and elevated prose. It precedes the main verb: 会议将举行 (the meeting will be held), 历史将记住 (history will remember), 改革将带来 (reform will bring).
Register: 将 is to spoken 会 as "shall" is to "will" in formal English — more elevated, more official, more distant from daily speech. A Chinese newspaper will say 改革将推进 (reform will be advanced); a friend will say 改革会来的 (reform will come).
将来 (jiānglái) as noun: "the future"
将来 = "the future" as a time noun: 将来的挑战 (future challenges), 不管将来怎样 (no matter what the future brings). This is distinct from 将 as a future marker — 将来 is a noun/adverb meaning the future as a concept, not a modal.
要 (yào) — intentional near future:
要 expresses intention or impending action in conversational Chinese: 她要去北京 (She is going to go to Beijing — plans/intends to), 我要告诉你 (I am going to tell you). Sentence-final 了 adds immediacy: 她要去了 (She is about to go now).
快要…了 (kuài yào…le) — imminent future:
快 (fast/quickly) + 要 (about to) + verb + 了 = "is about to [verb] soon." The 了 at the end marks the imminence of change. 火车快要开了 (The train is about to depart — any moment). 快要落山了 (About to set). This construction is colloquial and vivid — the urgency of the approaching event.
将于 (jiāng yú) — formal date-setting:
会议将于明天下午三点举行 (The meeting will be held at 3pm tomorrow). 将 + 于 + time/place + verb is the standard formula for formal announcements: 于 is the classical preposition "at/in" (Lesson 32: 建于清朝). Together 将于 + time = "will take place at."
The full future marker spectrum:
From most formal to most colloquial: 1. 将 — formal written Chinese: 历史将记住 2. 会 — neutral prediction: 明天会下雨 3. 将要 / 要 — intention/near future: 她要去了 4. 快要…了 — imminent: 快要下雨了
Common Mistakes: - Using 将 in casual conversation — sounds like reading a news report - Using 快要 without 了: *快要下雨 — incomplete; needs 了 → 快要下雨了 - Translating English "will" always as 将 — in speech, 会 or 要 is always more natural
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将来 (the future) in Chinese philosophical thought is not primarily a source of anxiety but a horizon of possibility. Confucian ethics focus on present action rather than future speculation: 不知未来，焉知今日 (Without knowing the future, how can you know the present?). The future is grasped through cultivating virtue now; 将来 arrives as a result of 此刻 (this moment).
在新闻语言中 (In news Chinese), 将 is the standard future marker: every formal announcement, every policy statement, every scheduled event uses 将. A learner who can read news Chinese must recognise 将 instantly. 将于 (will be held at) and 将与 (will together with) and 将在 (will in) are fixed patterns in formal prose.
快要落山了 (the sun is about to set) — this phrase carries literary and emotional weight beyond its grammatical function. In Chinese poetry and prose, the setting sun (夕阳 xīyáng, 落日 luò rì) is one of the most loaded images: beauty, transience, the end of a cycle. 快要 (is about to) intensifies the imminence — not just setting, but the very moment before setting. This moment before the change — the 将 of lived experience — is what Chinese poetry finds most beautiful.
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李商隐 (Lǐ Shāngyǐn), 《登乐游原》— Ascending Leyou Plain, c. 850 CE
This four-line poem ends with one of the most famous lines in Chinese poetry — a sentence about what is about to happen, what is 快要…了. The poem has generated more commentary than almost any other short verse in the tradition.
向晚意不适，驱车登古原。夕阳无限好，只是近黄昏。
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
向晚 (xiàng wǎn) toward-evening 意 (yì) mood 不适 (bù shì) not-comfortable ，
驱车 (qū chē) drive-carriage 登 (dēng) ascend 古原 (gǔ yuán) ancient-plain 。
夕阳 (xī yáng) setting-sun 无限 (wúxiàn) limitless 好 (hǎo) beautiful ，
只是 (zhǐshì) only-is 近 (jìn) near 黄昏 (huánghūn) dusk
F-B: Authentic Text with Translation
向晚意不适，驱车登古原。夕阳无限好，只是近黄昏。
"Toward evening my mood is uneasy; I drive my carriage up the ancient plain. The setting sun is infinitely beautiful — only, it is near dusk."
F-C: Authentic Text Only
向晚意不适，驱车登古原。夕阳无限好，只是近黄昏。
F-D: Grammar and Vocabulary Notes
只是近黄昏 (zhǐshì jìn huánghūn): "only, it is near dusk." 只是 (only/merely) + 近 (near) + 黄昏 (dusk). The beauty of the setting sun is unlimited — but it is about to end. 近 here is both spatial (near) and temporal (close to / about to become). The sun 快要落山了: about to set. 将 is not the word — the classical 近 does its work.
无限 (wúxiàn): "limitless / infinite" — 无 (without) + 限 (limit). In modern Chinese: 无限好 (infinitely beautiful), 无限可能 (infinite possibilities).
The poem's emotional structure: move toward the beautiful (ascending to see the sunset) → the beautiful is real (夕阳无限好) → the beautiful is temporary (只是近黄昏). The 将 of this poem is the 近 — the approach of dusk that will end the beauty.
F-E: Literary Commentary
近黄昏 is Chinese poetry's most celebrated use of imminence. The sun IS beautiful — 无限好, without limit. But: 只是近黄昏. It is about to become something else. The 将 of this poem is not hopeful (spring will come) or neutral (the meeting will be held) — it is the 将 of transience, of what will cease. Li Shangyin makes the future a source of exquisite, unbearable sweetness: because the sun is about to set (快要落山了), it is infinitely beautiful right now. The lesson word 将 — pointing forward, carrying things into the future — here carries the sunset forward into darkness. And the darkness makes the present light infinite.
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A teacher's final speech to her students at graduation. Formal registers of 将 alternate with personal 要 and 会 — the full spectrum of futurity, from official announcement to personal promise. The setting: a school gymnasium, morning, the last day.
40.16a 同学们 students ， , 今天 today ， , 你们 you-PL 将 will 告别 bid-farewell 这 this 所 CL 学校 school
40.16b (tóngxuémen) students (jīntiān) today (nǐmen) you-PL (jiāng) will (gàobié) bid-farewell (zhè) this (suǒ) CL (xuéxiào) school
40.17a 这 this 将 will 是 be 你们 your 人生 life 中 within 一个 one-CL 重要 important 的 DE 时刻 moment
40.17b (zhè) this (jiāng) will (shì) be (nǐmen) your (rénshēng) life (zhōng) within (yī gè) one-CL (zhòngyào) important (de) DE (shíkè) moment
40.18a 你们 you-PL 快要 are-about-to 走出 walk-out 这 this 扇 CL-flat 门 door 了 PERF
40.18b (nǐmen) you-PL (kuài yào) are-about-to (zǒu chū) walk-out (zhè) this (shàn) CL-flat (mén) door (le) PERF
40.19a 外面 outside 的 DE 世界 world 将 will 比 than 你们 you-PL 想象 imagined 的 DE 大 bigger 、 , 比 than 你们 you-PL 想象 imagined 的 DE 难 harder
40.19b (wàimiàn) outside (de) DE (shìjiè) world (jiāng) will (bǐ) than (nǐmen) you-PL (xiǎngxiàng) imagined (de) DE (dà) bigger (bǐ) than (nǐmen) you-PL (xiǎngxiàng) imagined (de) DE (nán) harder
40.20a 也 also 将 will 比 than 你们 you-PL 想象 imagined 的 DE 精彩 wonderful
40.20b (yě) also (jiāng) will (bǐ) than (nǐmen) you-PL (xiǎngxiàng) imagined (de) DE (jīngcǎi) wonderful
40.21a 你们 you-PL 将 will 遇到 encounter 失败 failure ， , 这 this 是 is 一定 certain 的 DE
40.21b (nǐmen) you-PL (jiāng) will (yùdào) encounter (shībài) failure (zhè) this (shì) is (yīdìng) certain (de) DE
40.22a 但 but 你们 you-PL 也 also 将 will 学会 learn-how-to 从 from 失败 failure 中 within 站起来 stand-up
40.22b (dàn) but (nǐmen) you-PL (yě) also (jiāng) will (xué huì) learn-how-to (cóng) from (shībài) failure (zhōng) within (zhàn qǐlái) stand-up
40.23a 我 I 要 am-going-to 告诉 tell 你们 you-PL 一件事 one-thing ： : 困难 difficulty 快要 is-about-to 来 come 了 PERF 的 DE 时候 when ， , 不要 don't 退 retreat
40.23b (wǒ) I (yào) am-going-to (gàosu) tell (nǐmen) you-PL (yī jiàn shì) one-thing (kùnnán) difficulty (kuài yào) is-about-to (lái) come (le) PERF (de) DE (shíhou) when (bùyào) don't (tuì) retreat
40.24a 那 that 将 will 是 be 你们 your 成长 growth 最快 fastest 的 DE 时刻 moment
40.24b (nà) that (jiāng) will (shì) be (nǐmen) your (chéngzhǎng) growth (zuì kuài) fastest (de) DE (shíkè) moment
40.25a 我 I 会 will 记住 remember 你们 you-PL 每 every 一个 one-CL 人 person
40.25b (wǒ) I (huì) will (jì zhù) remember (nǐmen) you-PL (měi) every (yī gè) one-CL (rén) person
40.26a 二十年 twenty-years 后 after ， , 你们 you-PL 将 will 成为 become 什么样 what-kind 的 DE 人 person ， , 我 I 今天 today 已经 already 看见 see 了 PERF
40.26b (èrshí nián hòu) twenty-years-after (nǐmen) you-PL (jiāng) will (chéngwéi) become (shénme yàng) what-kind (de) DE (rén) person (wǒ) I (jīntiān) today (yǐjīng) already (kàn jiàn) see (le) PERF
40.27a 你们 you-PL 要 are-going-to 走了 leave-PERF ， , 而 and 我 I 会 will 一直 always 在 be-at 这里 here
40.27b (nǐmen) you-PL (yào) are-going-to (zǒu le) leave-PERF (ér) and (wǒ) I (huì) will (yīzhí) always (zài) be-at (zhèlǐ) here
40.28a 快要 is-about-to 出发 set-out 了 PERF ， , 记住 remember ： : 你们 you-PL 不是 not-are 一个人 alone 走 going
40.28b (kuài yào) is-about-to (chūfā) set-out (le) PERF (jì zhù) remember (nǐmen) you-PL (bùshì) not-are (yī gè rén) alone (zǒu) going
40.29a 所有 all 爱 love 你们 you-PL 的 DE 人 people ， , 都 all 将 will 陪 accompany 着 PROG 你们 you-PL ， , 一路 all-the-way
40.29b (suǒyǒu) all (ài) love (nǐmen) you-PL (de) DE (rén) people (dōu) all (jiāng) will (péi) accompany (zhe) PROG (nǐmen) you-PL (yī lù) all-the-way
40.30a 出发 set-out 吧 SUGG ！ 前途 future ， , 将 will 是 be 你们** yours
40.30b (chūfā ba) set-out-SUGG (qiántú) future (jiāng) will (shì) be (nǐmen) yours
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40.16 同学们，今天，你们将告别这所学校。 "Students — today, you will say farewell to this school."
40.17 这将是你们人生中一个重要的时刻。 "This will be an important moment in your lives."
40.18 你们快要走出这扇门了。 "You are about to walk out through this door."
40.19 外面的世界将比你们想象的大、比你们想象的难。 "The world outside will be bigger than you imagine — and harder than you imagine."
40.20 也将比你们想象的精彩。 "And also more wonderful than you imagine."
40.21 你们将遇到失败，这是一定的。 "You will encounter failure — that is certain."
40.22 但你们也将学会从失败中站起来。 "But you will also learn how to rise from failure."
40.23 我要告诉你们一件事：困难快要来了的时候，不要退。 "I want to tell you one thing: when difficulty is about to arrive, don't retreat."
40.24 那将是你们成长最快的时刻。 "That will be the moment you grow the fastest."
40.25 我会记住你们每一个人。 "I will remember every one of you."
40.26 二十年后，你们将成为什么样的人，我今天已经看见了。 "The people you will become in twenty years — I can already see them today."
40.27 你们要走了，而我会一直在这里。 "You are going to leave — and I will always be here."
40.28 快要出发了，记住：你们不是一个人走。 "You are about to set out — remember: you are not walking alone."
40.29 所有爱你们的人，都将陪着你们，一路。 "All the people who love you will accompany you — all the way."
40.30 出发吧！前途，将是你们的。 "Set out! The future — it will be yours."
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40.16 同学们，今天，你们将告别这所学校。 40.17 这将是你们人生中一个重要的时刻。 40.18 你们快要走出这扇门了。 40.19 外面的世界将比你们想象的大、比你们想象的难。 40.20 也将比你们想象的精彩。 40.21 你们将遇到失败，这是一定的。 40.22 但你们也将学会从失败中站起来。 40.23 我要告诉你们一件事：困难快要来了的时候，不要退。 40.24 那将是你们成长最快的时刻。 40.25 我会记住你们每一个人。 40.26 二十年后，你们将成为什么样的人，我今天已经看见了。 40.27 你们要走了，而我会一直在这里。 40.28 快要出发了，记住：你们不是一个人走。 40.29 所有爱你们的人，都将陪着你们，一路。 40.30 出发吧！前途，将是你们的。
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将 vs 会 vs 要 in the same speech: The teacher uses all three — 将 for formal declarations about the students' futures (you will become, you will encounter, history will record), 会 for personal promises (I will remember you), 要 for immediate intentions (I am going to tell you something). This natural mixing is exactly how educated Chinese speakers move between registers: formal 将 when speaking as an institution, personal 会 when speaking as an individual.
前途将是你们的 (40.30): Subject-predicate reversal for emphasis: "前途 (the future/prospects) — 将是 (will be) — 你们的 (yours)." By fronting 前途 and leaving 你们的 at the end, the teacher builds toward the gift. In natural order it would be 你们的前途将是光明的 (Your future will be bright); the reversal makes 前途 the dramatic subject and 你们的 the emphatic conclusion.
陪着你们一路 (péi zhe nǐmen yī lù): "accompany you all the way" — 陪 (accompany) + 着 (ongoing state) + 你们 (you) + 一路 (all the way, literally "one road"). 一路 as a distance adverb: the whole journey, from here to wherever. 一路平安 (safe journey — "one road, all peace") is the standard Chinese farewell.
这所学校 (zhè suǒ xuéxiào): "this school" — 所 is the measure word for institutions (schools, hospitals, buildings used as institutions): 一所学校 (one school), 两所医院 (two hospitals), 这所大学 (this university). Distinct from 所 as nominaliser (所有, 所知道的).
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将 (jiāng) — IPA: /tɕjaŋ˥/ — First tone, high and level.
j: unaspirated palatal affricate [tɕ] — the tongue body arches toward the hard palate and makes a stop, then releases into a palatal fricative. No puff of breath. Distinct from 将军 jiàng (4th tone, military general) — same character, different tone and meaning.
iāng: the vowel sequence [jaŋ] — starts with a brief palatal glide [j], then the open low vowel [a], closing with the velar nasal [ŋ]. The pitch is high and sustained throughout the first tone.
将 (jiāng, 1st tone, future marker) vs 将 (jiàng, 4th tone, military general/to bring): this tonal distinction matters — 将军 (jiàngjūn, general) vs 将来 (jiānglái, future). Context almost always clarifies, but be aware of both readings.
快要 (kuài yào) — IPA: /kʰuaɪ̯˥˩.jao˥˩/ — both fourth tone.
Both syllables fall sharply. In rapid speech, 快要 runs together as a fixed expression and the boundary between the syllables softens: [kʰwaɪ̯jao]. The urgency of the phrase is partly carried by this fast, falling tonal contour — both syllables falling, pushing toward the imminent event.
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