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快要 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
快要kuàiyàoalmostHSK 2, unknown, 16 strokes, rank #2914, Easy
快要kuàiyàonearlyHSK 2, unknown, 16 strokes, rank #2914, Easy
快要kuàiyàoalmost allHSK 2, unknown, 16 strokes, rank #2914, Easy
kuàiyào(kuai4yao4) T4
  1. 1almost
  2. 2nearly
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March 24, 2026

快要kuàiyào(kuai4yao4)

快要 (kuài yào) means 'almost' or 'nearly,' indicating that something is about to happen soon. It is commonly used in both spoken and written Mandarin to express urgency or immediacy regarding an event or situation, often followed by a verb.

Strokes16Frequency#2914DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of time and urgency is often emphasized, especially in business and social settings, where being 'almost' ready can be a signal of respect and attentiveness to others' schedules.

Memory Tip

Imagine you are 'quickly' (快) preparing for an important event, and you can almost feel it happening (要). Picture yourself racing against time, where '快' reminds you to hurry and '要' signifies that something is about to occur.

Meanings of 快要

kuàiyào(kuai4yao4)
1almost
2nearly
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 快要

快要Simplified
16Strokes
—Radical
副词fùcíadverb (adv.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L2ElementaryTOCFLL2HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 快要

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Podcast: 快要

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AI Study Notes for 快要

Quick Contrast

将要 (jiāng yào) implies a more definite future event compared to 快要, which suggests something is imminent.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 快要 with just 要, which simply means 'to want' or 'to need.' 快要 is more urgent and implies that an action is imminent. It is generally used in informal contexts, but can be appropriate in semi-formal settings as well.

HSK Study Tips

While 快要 is not specified in any HSK level, it is useful for HSK 3 and above learners as it helps convey urgency in conversations. Focus on practicing sentences that include time phrases to solidify its usage.

Common Mistakes

Learners often misuse 快要 in sentences where it is unnecessary, for example, saying 快要我喜欢 (almost I like) instead of a proper action verb. Remember, 快要 should precede a verb describing the imminent action.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 快要

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Component Characters

快kuàirapid
HSK 27 strokes忄
View full entry
要yàoto want
HSK 19 strokes覀
View full entry

How to say almost in Chinese

“almost” in Chinese is快要kuàiyào

快要 (kuài yào) means 'almost' or 'nearly,' indicating that something is about to happen soon. It is commonly used in both spoken and written Mandarin to express urgency or immediacy regarding an event or situation, often followed by a verb.

When to use 快要

Be careful not to confuse 快要 with just 要, which simply means 'to want' or 'to need.' 快要 is more urgent and implies that an action is imminent. It is generally used in informal contexts, but can be appropriate in semi-formal settings as well.

快要 or something close to it

将要 (jiāng yào) implies a more definite future event compared to 快要, which suggests something is imminent.

What learners get wrong

Learners often misuse 快要 in sentences where it is unnecessary, for example, saying 快要我喜欢 (almost I like) instead of a proper action verb. Remember, 快要 should precede a verb describing the imminent action.

Write 快要

快
要

Practice writing 快要 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 快要

Yes, 快要 can be used with most verbs to indicate that the action is about to happen, such as 快要下雨 (almost going to rain).

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