How to Say 'About To' in Chinese: 快要…了 and 就要…了

To say "about to" in Chinese, wrap the verb in 快要 (kuàiyào) … 了 (le). You can also use 快…了, 就要…了 or 要…了. All four mean something will happen very soon, and the 了 at the end is required. 火车快要开了 means "The train is about to leave." When you add a time word like 明天, use 就要…了.

These patterns are part of the HSK 2 syllabus, and they are some of the most useful sentences you can learn early. Below, we go through each form and how it feels, which ones can take a time word, how to say "not yet," and how 快 works with numbers like 快十点了. You can see where they fit in our HSK 2 grammar list.

The Core Rule: Saying "About To" in Chinese

All four patterns share the same frame:

Subject + 快要 / 快 / 就要 / 要 + Verb + 了

The 了 here is not the past-tense-like 了 that follows a verb. It is the 了 at the end of a sentence that marks a change: a new situation is arriving. So 下雨了 means "it's started raining," and 快要下雨了 means "it's about to start raining." The word in front (快要, 就要 and so on) tells you how close the change is. If you want the bigger picture, our guide to the particle 了 covers both kinds.

快要下雨了，我们回家吧。
- Pinyin: Kuàiyào xià yǔ le, wǒmen huí jiā ba.
- English: It's about to rain. Let's go home.
电影就要开始了。
- Pinyin: Diànyǐng jiù yào kāishǐ le.
- English: The movie is about to start.

快要…了: The Everyday Default

Subject + 快要 + Verb / Adjective + 了

快 means "fast" or "soon," and 要 means "going to." Together they say "soon going to." This is the form most textbooks teach first, and it is safe in almost any situation.

火车快要开了。
- Pinyin: Huǒchē kuàiyào kāi le.
- English: The train is about to leave.
我的手机快要没电了。
- Pinyin: Wǒ de shǒujī kuàiyào méi diàn le.
- English: My phone is about to die.
天快要黑了。
- Pinyin: Tiān kuàiyào hēi le.
- English: It's about to get dark.

Adjectives work too, when they describe a change, like getting dark or getting cold.

快…了: The Short Form (and 快十点了)

Subject + 快 + Verb / Adjective + 了

Drop 要 and the meaning stays the same. 快…了 is shorter and very common in speech.

别着急，我快到了。
- Pinyin: Bié zháojí, wǒ kuài dào le.
- English: Don't worry, I'm almost there.
饭快好了，去洗手吧。
- Pinyin: Fàn kuài hǎo le, qù xǐ shǒu ba.
- English: Dinner's almost ready. Go wash your hands.

Kuai Le with Numbers, Ages and Holidays

快 + Time / Number / Noun + 了

This is where 快 is especially handy. Put a clock time, an age, an amount or a holiday between 快 and 了, and it means "almost."

快十点了，你怎么还不睡？
- Pinyin: Kuài shí diǎn le, nǐ zěnme hái bú shuì?
- English: It's almost ten. Why aren't you in bed yet?
我儿子快六岁了。
- Pinyin: Wǒ érzi kuài liù suì le.
- English: My son is almost six.
快春节了，火车票很难买。
- Pinyin: Kuài Chūnjié le, huǒchē piào hěn nán mǎi.
- English: It's nearly Spring Festival, so train tickets are hard to get.

You will also hear 快要十点了, and native speakers use it, but 快十点了 is the most natural choice with numbers and nouns. 就要 and 要 are rare here, so keep them for verbs.

就要…了 (Jiù Yào…Le): Very Soon, and It Can Take a Time Word

(Time word) + Subject + 就要 + Verb + 了

就 adds a feeling of "already, that soon." 就要…了 sounds closer and a bit more urgent or emotional than 快要…了. It is also the form you use when you name when the thing will happen. For the other jobs 就 does, see our guide to 就 vs. 才.

我们下个月就要结婚了。
- Pinyin: Wǒmen xià ge yuè jiù yào jiéhūn le.
- English: We're getting married next month.
明天就要考试了，我还没复习呢。
- Pinyin: Míngtiān jiù yào kǎoshì le, wǒ hái méi fùxí ne.
- English: The exam is tomorrow and I haven't studied yet.
飞机马上就要起飞了。
- Pinyin: Fēijī mǎshàng jiù yào qǐfēi le.
- English: The plane is about to take off.

马上就要…了 ("right away, about to") is a very common combination. It is the strongest way to say something is about to happen.

要…了: The Plain Sentence Pattern

Subject + 要 + Verb + 了

The 要…了 sentence pattern is the plainest of the four. It is close to "going to" in English, a little less urgent than the others. It can also take a time word.

要下雪了，多穿点儿衣服。
- Pinyin: Yào xià xuě le, duō chuān diǎnr yīfu.
- English: It's going to snow. Wear something warmer.
我要走了，明天见。
- Pinyin: Wǒ yào zǒu le, míngtiān jiàn.
- English: I'm off now. See you tomorrow.
下个星期我要搬家了。
- Pinyin: Xià ge xīngqī wǒ yào bānjiā le.
- English: I'm moving next week.

One thing to watch: 要 also means "want." 我要走了 is clear because of the 了, but 我要走 alone can mean "I want to go." Our guide to 想 vs. 要 explains the different meanings of 要.

就要…了 vs 快要…了: Which Forms Can Take a Time Word?

就要…了 and 要…了: yes. You can say exactly when.
快要…了 and 快…了: no, not with a specific time like 明天, 下个月 or 八点.

Why? 快 means "almost" or "nearly." It describes a vague closeness. Once you give an exact time, you are no longer saying "almost," you are saying "on this day." The two ideas clash.

Right: 他们明天就要走了。
- Pinyin: Tāmen míngtiān jiù yào zǒu le.
- English: They're leaving tomorrow.
Wrong: 他们明天快要走了。

The same goes for 快…了: 我八点快到了 does not work. Say 我八点就到 (I'll be there at eight) or simply 我快到了 (I'm almost there).

Questions and Negatives: 还没…呢

Asking Questions

Just add 吗, or use 是不是 to check something you think is true.

我们快到了吗？
- Pinyin: Wǒmen kuài dào le ma?
- English: Are we almost there?
你是不是快毕业了？
- Pinyin: Nǐ shì bu shì kuài bìyè le?
- English: You're graduating soon, aren't you?

A short "yes" answer is simply 快了 (almost).

Saying "Not Yet"

You do not put 不 or 没 in front of 快要. There is no "不快要…了." To say it is not about to happen, use 还没…呢 (not yet) or 还早呢 (it's still early). For more on 没 and "not yet," see our guide to 不 vs. 没.

A: 饭快好了吗？
- Pinyin: Fàn kuài hǎo le ma?
- English: Is dinner almost ready?
B: 还没呢，再等十分钟。
- Pinyin: Hái méi ne, zài děng shí fēnzhōng.
- English: Not yet. Give it ten more minutes.
还早呢，电影八点才开始。
- Pinyin: Hái zǎo ne, diànyǐng bā diǎn cái kāishǐ.
- English: It's still early. The movie doesn't start until eight.

快要…了 vs 快…了 vs 就要…了 vs 要…了: Comparison Table

Form	Feel	With a time word (明天)?	With numbers or nouns?	Example
快要…了	soon, almost	No	Possible, but 快 is more natural	快要下雨了。
快…了	same, shorter, very spoken	No	Yes, the best choice	快十点了。
就要…了	very soon, a bit urgent	Yes	Rare	明天就要考试了。
要…了	going to, plain	Yes	Rare	要下雪了。

Real-Life Dialogues

Dialogue 1: Running Late

A: 你在哪儿？电影快要开始了！
- Pinyin: Nǐ zài nǎr? Diànyǐng kuàiyào kāishǐ le!
- English: Where are you? The movie's about to start!
B: 别着急，我快到了。
- Pinyin: Bié zháojí, wǒ kuài dào le.
- English: Relax, I'm almost there.
A: 你十分钟以前就说快到了。
- Pinyin: Nǐ shí fēnzhōng yǐqián jiù shuō kuài dào le.
- English: You said you were almost here ten minutes ago.
B: 这次是真的，我已经下车了。
- Pinyin: Zhè cì shì zhēn de, wǒ yǐjīng xià chē le.
- English: This time I mean it. I've already got off the bus.
A: 好，我在门口等你。
- Pinyin: Hǎo, wǒ zài ménkǒu děng nǐ.
- English: OK, I'll wait for you at the entrance.

Dialogue 2: Going Home for a Birthday

A: 你下个星期就要回国了吧？
- Pinyin: Nǐ xià ge xīngqī jiù yào huí guó le ba?
- English: You're going back home next week, right?
B: 对，我妈妈快六十岁了，我回去给她过生日。
- Pinyin: Duì, wǒ māma kuài liùshí suì le, wǒ huíqu gěi tā guò shēngrì.
- English: Yes, my mom is turning sixty, so I'm going back for her birthday.
A: 行李收拾好了吗？
- Pinyin: Xíngli shōushi hǎo le ma?
- English: Have you packed yet?
B: 还没呢，今天晚上收拾。
- Pinyin: Hái méi ne, jīntiān wǎnshang shōushi.
- English: Not yet. I'll pack tonight.
A: 快下班了，早点儿回家收拾吧。
- Pinyin: Kuài xiàbān le, zǎo diǎnr huí jiā shōushi ba.
- English: We're almost done for the day. Go home early and pack.

Common Mistakes with "About To" in Chinese

Mistake 1: Forgetting 了

Without the final 了, the sentence feels cut off.

Wrong: 火车快要开。
Right: 火车快要开了。
- Pinyin: Huǒchē kuàiyào kāi le.
- English: The train is about to leave.

Mistake 2: Using 快要 with a Specific Time

Wrong: 我下个月快要结婚了。
Right: 我下个月就要结婚了。
- Pinyin: Wǒ xià ge yuè jiù yào jiéhūn le.
- English: I'm getting married next month.

Mistake 3: Negating with 不

Wrong: 电影不快要开始了。
Right: 电影还没开始呢。
- Pinyin: Diànyǐng hái méi kāishǐ ne.
- English: The movie hasn't started yet.

Mistake 4: Mixing Up "Hurry" and "About To"

快 without 了 often means "quickly" or "hurry up." The 了 changes the whole meaning.

Wrong (if you mean "it's almost time to eat"): 我们快吃饭。
Right: 我们快吃饭了。
- Pinyin: Wǒmen kuài chī fàn le.
- English: We're about to eat.

Practice Quiz: Kuai Yao Le Chinese Grammar

Try these first. Answers are below.

Fill in the blank: ___ 十二点了，我们去吃午饭吧。 (It's almost twelve.)
Fill in the blank: 我们后天 ___ 回国了。 (We're going back home the day after tomorrow.)
Right or wrong? 他明天快要出差了。
A: 你的作业快写完了吗？ B: (Not yet.) ___
Translate into Chinese: "My phone is about to die."

Answers

快 (快 + a clock time)
就要 or 要 (there is a time word, 后天)
Wrong. Use 就要 with a time word: 他明天就要出差了。 (He's going on a business trip tomorrow.)
还没呢。
我的手机快没电了。 (快要没电了 is also correct.)

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you say "about to" in Chinese?

Put the verb between 快要 and 了: 火车快要开了 (the train is about to leave). You can also use the shorter 快…了, the more urgent 就要…了, or the plain 要…了. All four need 了 at the end.

What is the difference between 就要…了 and 快要…了?

They both mean something will happen soon. 就要…了 sounds a little closer and more urgent, and it can follow a time word like 明天 or 下个月. 快要…了 cannot be used with a specific time.

Can I use 快要 with a time word like 明天?

No. 快 means "almost," which does not fit with an exact time. Say 我明天就要走了 or 我明天要走了, not 我明天快要走了.

How do you answer "not yet" to a 快…了吗 question?

Say 还没呢 (not yet) or 还早呢 (it's still early). You do not negate 快要…了 with 不 or 没. To describe it in a full sentence, use 还没 + verb + 呢, as in 他还没到呢.

Is the 了 in 快要…了 necessary?

Yes. The 了 shows that a change is coming. Without it, 快 often reads as "quickly" or "hurry," so 快吃饭 means "hurry up and eat," while 快吃饭了 means "it's almost time to eat."

What's Next

Try saying one 快…了 sentence every day about what is happening around you: 快下班了, 快到周末了, 我快饿死了.

Learn Chinese is free to download on iOS and Android, with HSK vocabulary, built-in audio, grammar lessons and practice tests to help you use 快要…了 and 就要…了 naturally. HSK 1 and 2 are free in full, and Learn Chinese Pro covers HSK 3 to 6.