Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 將 / 将 | jiāng |
| 要 | yào |
| 將要 / 将要 | jiāngyào |
| 會 / 会 | huì |
The terms used for 'will' change depending on whether you are expressing a planned action, a personal intention, a prediction or an imminent event. While 將 / 将 and 要 are common in Mandarin, Cantonese speakers often use 會 / 会.
Which one should you use?
Use 要 to express a strong intention, a personal decision or an imminent plan, often carrying the sense of 'want to' or 'going to'. Use 會 / 会 when you want to express a prediction or a future certainty. Use 將 / 将 to indicate a planned or scheduled future action. 將要 / 将要 combines these concepts to create a stronger emphasis on an action that is about to happen.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
將 / 将 is a formal or literary term used to express the future, particularly in written contexts. In contrast, 要 is the colloquial way to express 'will' in informal speech.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, 會 / 会 is commonly used to express 'will'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Combining 將 / 将 and 要 into the form 將要 / 将要 creates a stronger emphasis on an action that is imminent or about to happen.
How do you pronounce it?
jiāng
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be aware that in Chinese, 會 / 会 can mean both 'will' (a future certainty) and 'to know how to' (a learned skill).
Did you know?
- The character 將 was originally used to describe the act of offering meat as a tribute, involving a hand and a piece of meat.
- While 將 is common in formal writing, a speaker using it in a casual conversation might sound like they are reading from a textbook or a historical novel.
Examples in context
- 我要去市场。I will go to the market.This sentence shows how to use 要 to express a future intention.Tatoeba #8832694 by crescat, translation #4168189 by Wuzzy
- 他要做什麼？What will he do?This sentence demonstrates a question using 要 regarding a future action.Tatoeba #9170791 by xjjAstrus, translation #13246883 by LeviHighway
- 湯姆真要做嗎？Will Tom really do that?This sentence uses 要 to ask about a person's intention to perform an action.Tatoeba #6094834 by verdastelo9604, translation #6079187 by CK
- 我明天要去北京。(Wǒ míngtiān yào qù Běijīng.)I will go to Beijing tomorrow.
- 我们将于下周举行会议。(Wǒmen jiāng yú xiàzhōu jǔxíng huìyì.)We will hold a meeting next week.
- 明天可能会下雨。(Míngtiān kěnéng huì xià yǔ.)It might rain tomorrow.
- 我明天要去公园。(Wǒ míngtiān yào qù gōngyuán.)I'll go to the park tomorrow.
- 为了你，我会加油的。(Wèile nǐ, wǒ huì jiāyóu de.)For you, I will try my best.
- 180 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “will” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 將, 會, 要, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
