Imminent Events with 要、快要、就要……了 in Chinese
要、快要、就要……了
要……了, 快要……了, and 就要……了 announce that an event or new state is close to occurring. The imminence marker precedes the predicate and sentence-final 了 marks the approaching change as currently relevant. The variants differ in nuance and context, so this page does not treat them as interchangeable in every sentence.
Published August 15, 2026
Reviewed August 15, 2026
01 / PATTERN
See the Structure
MODEL
Subject + 要/快要/就要 + Verb or State + 了
Read the structure
要……了, 快要……了, and 就要……了 announce that an event or new state is close to occurring. The imminence marker precedes the predicate and sentence-final 了 marks the approaching change as currently relevant. The variants differ in nuance and context, so this page does not treat them as interchangeable in every sentence. Keep the model Subject + 要/快要/就要 + Verb or State + 了 visible while you compare each sentence.
要下雨了。
It is going to rain.
Choose the right context
Announce an event that is close to beginning or a state close to changing. Place 要, 快要, or 就要 before the complete predicate. Use sentence-final 了 to present the approaching change as currently relevant.
我们快要放假了。
Our vacation is about to begin.
Respect the boundary
Do not place 了 between the imminence marker and its predicate. Do not use this pattern for an event that has already finished. Do not assume each variant fits every time expression and discourse context equally.
下雨要了。
(Rain going-to now.)
Repair the pattern
要 follows the event predicate: Imminent 要 precedes the event predicate, while 了 closes the sentence. 了 splits 快要 from the predicate: 快要 directly modifies the approaching event, and 了 follows the complete predicate.
要下雨了。
Use the repaired structure without changing the intended meaning.
02 / MAP
Read the Sentence
Read from left to right and notice the job performed by each part. The labels describe this example; they are not a rule that every Chinese sentence must copy.
要下雨了。
It is going to rain.
要
Subject
This part occupies the Subject position in the model pattern.
下雨
要/快要/就要
This part occupies the 要/快要/就要 position in the model pattern.
了
Verb or State
This part occupies the Verb or State position in the model pattern.
03 / EXAMPLES
Examples You Can Reuse
Keep the structure stable while changing the people, objects, times, or conditions. Pinyin is shown as reading support; use the Chinese sentence and translation to confirm the grammar relationship.
要下雨了。
It is going to rain.
我们快要放假了。
Our vacation is about to begin.
火车就要开了。
The train is about to depart.
04 / LIMITS
When to Use It — and When Not To
Use it when
- Announce an event that is close to beginning or a state close to changing.
- Place 要, 快要, or 就要 before the complete predicate.
- Use sentence-final 了 to present the approaching change as currently relevant.
Do not use it when
- Do not place 了 between the imminence marker and its predicate.
- Do not use this pattern for an event that has already finished.
- Do not assume each variant fits every time expression and discourse context equally.
05 / REPAIR
Compare Right and Wrong
Compare the smallest meaningful change. Each explanation identifies a placement, scope, form, or clause relationship instead of treating the whole sentence as one undifferentiated mistake.
下雨要了。
要下雨了。
要 follows the event predicate
Imminent 要 precedes the event predicate, while 了 closes the sentence.
我们快要了放假。
我们快要放假了。
了 splits 快要 from the predicate
快要 directly modifies the approaching event, and 了 follows the complete predicate.
下雨要了。
Imminent 要 precedes the event predicate, while 了 closes the sentence.
我们快要了放假。
快要 directly modifies the approaching event, and 了 follows the complete predicate.
06 / PRACTICE
Practice the Grammar Point
Complete three short tasks in order: judge the pattern, repair a common error, and build the sentence. Feedback is fixed and reviewed, so these activities do not use a checker allowance.
1. Judge the sentence
2. Choose the correction
3. Build the sentence
Build a complete sentence with 要、快要、就要……了.
07 / APPLY
Apply It in Your Sentence
Write one original sentence with 要、快要、就要……了. Your draft moves to the checker through this browser session, selects this grammar point as the first review focus, and waits for you to submit.
08 / QUESTIONS
Imminent Events with 要、快要、就要……了 Questions
Do 要……了, 快要……了, and 就要……了 mean exactly the same thing?
They all mark imminence, but they differ in nuance and distribution. Context and time expressions can favor one form over another.
Does the final 了 mean the event is completed?
No. Here it marks a currently relevant approaching change. The event itself has not yet occurred.
09 / SOURCES
Sources and Review Notes
These references support different parts of the lesson. GF0025-2021 supports level placement only; professional grammar works support the explanation, limits, examples, and cross-checks. Their inclusion does not imply endorsement.
Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education (GF0025-2021)
Ministry of Education and State Language Commission · Ministry of Education of the PRC · 2021
Locator: Appendix A, Level 2 item 【二81】, PDF p. 197 (printed p. 191)
Supports placement in HSK 2; it does not independently establish the usage explanation.
Official source第二章：“了”的用法和意义
BINUS University Chinese Studies thesis author · Bina Nusantara University Library · 2009
Locator: Chapter 2, section on imminent 要、就要、快要、快……了, PDF pp. 7-8
Documents sentence-final 了 with 要, 就要, 快要, and 快 to present an event as about to occur.
Official source10 / CONTINUE
Continue with a Connected Rule
Easy to confuse
变化态：句末“了”Sentence-final 了 for a New Situation
Compare a change that has become relevant with an event that is only about to occur.
Learn first
时间Time Word Placement
Place explicit time expressions correctly before the imminent-event predicate when they are present.
Compare
了了 (le): Completed Actions
Distinguish imminent sentence-final 了 from 了 marking a completed or newly changed situation.
Compare
刚 / 刚刚 / 还 / 忽然 / 一直 / 已经Core Time Adverbs: 刚, 一直, and 已经
Compare an imminent event with adverbs locating events as recent continuing or already attained.
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Easy to confuse
Compare a change that has become relevant with an event that is only about to occur.