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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing 'about to' with 快要 (kuàiyào)

    Aspect & Tense
    Time Expressions

    Structure

    Subject + 快要 + Verb + 了

    Explanation

    The adverb 快要 (kuàiyào) means "about to" or "soon going to" and indicates that something is on the verge of happening. It is typically used before a verb and often paired with the sentence-final particle 了 to emphasize the imminent change. For example, 她快要爱上他了 means "she is about to fall in love with him."

    Examples

    • 电影快要开始了,我们快进去吧。

      Diànyǐng kuàiyào kāishǐ le, wǒmen kuài jìnqù ba.

      The movie is about to start, let's go in quickly.

    • 天快要黑了,我们回家吧。

      Tiān kuàiyào hēi le, wǒmen huíjiā ba.

      It's getting dark soon, let's go home.

    • 她快要毕业了,正在找工作。

      Tā kuàiyào bìyè le, zhèngzài zhǎo gōngzuò.

      She is about to graduate and is looking for a job.

    Expressing 'about to' with 快要 (kuàiyào) | Chinese Grammar