Meaning of 将要
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- will
- shall
- to be going to
How to use 将要
将要 goes before a verb to show that something is going to happen, often soon. It sounds more formal than 要 or 就要 and is common in news, notices and writing. Example: 新学期将要开始了。(Xīn xuéqī jiāngyào kāishǐ le.) The new semester is about to begin.
将 (jiāng) already means "about to" on its own, and 要 (yào) means "want" or "going to." Stack two future words together and you get 将要, a firm "will soon happen."
Common mistake: Learners sometimes read 将 as jiàng, which is the pronunciation in 将军 (jiāngjūn, general) style words like 大将 (dàjiàng). In 将要 it is always first tone, jiāng. Also, do not put a specific time phrase like 明天 directly after 将要. Put the time before it: 我明天将要出发 (Wǒ míngtiān jiāngyào chūfā).
将要 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
将 jiāng · will · 9 strokes
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要 yào · to want · 9 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 将要.
| 重要 | zhòngyào | important; significant; major |
| 不要 | bùyào | don't!; must not |
| 只要 | zhǐyào | so long as; provided; if |
| 就要 | jiùyào | will; shall |
| 要求 | yāoqiú | to request; to require |
| 主要 | zhǔyào | main; principal; major; primary |
| 快要 | kuàiyào | nearly at the point of (doing sth); about to (do sth) |
| 需要 | xūyào | to need; to want; to demand; to require; needs |
| 要是 | yàoshi | (coll.) if |
| 必要 | bìyào | necessary; essential |
| 将来 | jiānglái | in the future; future |
| 将近 | jiāngjìn | almost; nearly |
Questions about 将要
What does 将要 mean?
将要 (jiāngyào) means "will; shall" and is used as a adverb.
How do you write 将要?
将要 is made of 2 characters: 将 (9 strokes), 要 (9 strokes). That is 18 strokes in total.
Is 将要 an HSK word?
Yes. 将要 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 将要 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 将要 is written 將要.
What is the difference between 将要 and 就要?
Both mean "going to." 就要 (jiùyào) is more spoken and stresses that something is very close, often with 了 at the end, as in 火车就要开了. 将要 is more formal and neutral about how soon it will happen.
Can I just use 将 instead of 将要?
Yes. In formal writing 将 alone often replaces 将要, as in 会议将于明天举行 (The meeting will be held tomorrow). 将 is even more literary, so in everyday speech most people simply say 要 or 会.