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Chinese · Aspect & Time: 了, 过, 着

Future

We use the future tense for actions that will happen in the future.

In Chinese, we usually use the particle "会 / 要 / 将" to express the action that will happen in the future. For example:

1.我会给你打电话 (I will call you). The particle 会 here represents a possibility for the future.

2.我要吃晚饭了 (I will have dinner pretty soon). Note that the word "了" is part of this structure; it's got nothing to do with the past tense. Contrarily, this structure means "will do something pretty soon".

3.期末考将于下周五举行 (The final exam will be held next Friday)

Another simplest and clearest way for you to indicate something that has yet to occur is by using time phrases that indicate the future; see below:

明天(tomorrow),今晚(tonight),后天(the day after tomorrow),下星期(next week),下次(next time),明年(next year),下个月(next month),将来(in the future)

Note that "会" "要" "将" these three auxiliary verbs do not always indicate future tense. As always, it depends on the context. One good example is "会" which may also be used as a modal verb "can "

Try it yourself

我来的。Show answer
我会来的。
我出门啦!Show answer
我要出门啦!
他来接我下班。Show answer
他明天来接我下班。
我跟我的朋友一起去看电影。Show answer
今晚我跟我的朋友一起去看电影。
是他的生日。Show answer
后天是他的生日。
我要去美国。Show answer
我下星期要去美国。
我们再来这里吃饭吧。Show answer
我们下次再来这里吃饭吧。
我妈妈就退休了。Show answer
我妈妈明年就退休了。
我的房子到期。Show answer
我的房子下个月到期。
我想当一名兽医。Show answer
我将来想当一名兽医。

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