Some particles and patterns used to indicate a future situation

• 将

飞机将于今晚八点起飞。The plane is going to set off at eight o'clock this evening.

银行在年底将上调利率。Banks are going to increase the interest rate by the end of the year.

将, meaning 'to be going to', indicates the future tense. 将 appears in a preverbal position and is mostly used in formal or written language.

• 将要 / 就要 / 快要……了

我明年将要毕业了。I am going to graduate next year.

马上将要下雨了。It will rain soon.

我们将要到机场了。We are about to arrive at the airport.

要 does not mean 'to want' here. It is used to indicate a future situation.

The three particle combinations 将要, /就要, /快要 followed by 了 convey the idea of an imminent event and mean 'to be about to…'.

• 会

您的银行卡当场就会办好。Your bankcard will be processed on the spot.

我今天下午会去图书馆。I will go to the library this afternoon.

会does not mean 'can ' here. It is used to express a definite prediction.

The context of the sentence

我这个周末不能去看你了。I won't be able to visit you this weekend. (lit.I | this weekend | cannot go to visit you.)

他这个月十五号从伦敦飞来北京。He will fly from London to Beijing on the 15th of this month. (lit.He | the 15th of this month | from London fly to Beijing.)

Default

There does not have to be a grammatical particle to indicate the future in a Chinese sentence. When a sentence refers to an event and does not include an explicit expression of time, one can assume that the event is taking place in the future.

火车什么时候到？When will the train arrive?

火车是什么时候到的？When did the train arrive? ('是……的' indicates a past event.)

我立刻就给他办。I will deal with it for him immediately.

我立刻就给他办了。I dealt with it for him immediately. ('了' indicates a past action.)