快…了 / 快要…了
HSK 2- Aspect
Structure (结构 jiégòu)
Meaning (意思 yìsi)
The structure 快…了 / 快要…了 is used to express that an action or event is about to happen in the near future.
Explanation (解释 jiěshì)
Use 快…了 or 快要…了 to talk about something that is about to happen imminently. Both structures are essentially the same and interchangeable, carrying the meaning "about to…already."
The element in the middle can be a verb (such as 下雨 – to rain) or an adjective (such as 饿 – hungry). This structure emphasizes that something is going to happen in the very near future, usually within the next few minutes or hours.
Examples (例句 lìjù)(5)
- 天快下雨了。Tiān kuài xià yǔ le.
It's going to rain soon.
- 电影快要开始了。繁: 電影快要開始了。Diànyǐng kuài yào kāishǐ le.
The movie is about to start.
- 火车快到了。繁: 火車快到了。Huǒchē kuài dào le.
The train will arrive soon.
- 我快饿死了。繁: 我快餓死了。Wǒ kuài è sǐ le.
I'm starving.
- 我们快要毕业了。繁: 我們快要畢業了。Wǒmen kuài yào bìyè le.
We are about to graduate.
Common mistakes
- Wrong:天快下雨。Correct:天快下雨了。
This is a fixed structure where 了 at the end of the sentence is essential to express an imminent change of state.
- Wrong:我快下个月回国了。Correct:我下个月要回国了。
快…了 indicates an imminent event about to happen; it cannot be used with specific time points far in the future such as 下个月.