Express future plans and intentions.
Mandarin marks the future with words, not conjugation.
Time words like 明天 (míngtiān, tomorrow) also show future.
| Mandarin | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 明天 | Tomorrow | 明天我会学习。 |
| 会 | Will / can | 我会说中文。 |
| 要 | Want to / going to | 我要去北京。 |
| 打算 | To plan to | 你打算做什么？ |
| 明年 | Next year | 明年我要毕业。 |
| 以后 | After / in the future | 以后再说吧。 |
| Word | Phonetic | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| 明天 | 2nd then 1st tone. Means "tomorrow" | |
| 会 | 4th tone. Expresses likelihood/will | |
| 打算 | 3rd then 4th tone. Means "to plan" |
会 vs 要: 会 expresses probability/skill ("will/can"), while 要 expresses intention or immediate future ("going to/want to").
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