How to Talk About Future Plans in Chinese

In Authentic Street Interviews by Angel Huang

In this street interview video, six people share their future plans in Chinese. 

As we break down their answers, you’ll learn how to…

… use “会 huì” and “要 yào” to say what you will or are going to do. 

… talk about plans that are uncertain with “可能会 kě néng huì

… use some neat phrases for talking about the future in natural and correct Mandarin!

Interview Dialogue Breakdown

Questions:

nǐ wèi lái wǔ nián de guī huà shì shén me?

你未来五年的规划是什么?

What are your plans for the next 5 years?

Interviewee 1:

wèi lái wǔ nián de guī huà,biān zǒu biān kàn luo.

 未来五年的规划,边走边看啰。

My plans for the next 5 years... I'll see what happens.

Interviewee 2:

wǔ nián de huà,wǒ kě néng huì kāi gè huà zhuāng pǐn diàn la.

五年的话,我可能会开个化妆品店啦。

5 years... I might open a cosmetics shop.

Interviewee 3:

jiù shì hǎo hǎo zhèng qián ma,guò shàng gèng hǎo de shēng huó ma.

就是好好挣钱嘛,过上更好的生活嘛。

Just try hard to make money – have a better life.

Interviewee 4:

Shì yè yǒu chéng.

事业有成。

To be successful in business.

Interviewee 5:

wǒ wèi lái wǔ nián de huà,guī huà jiù shì,

我未来五年的话,规划就是,

My plan for the next 5 years is…

xiàn zài wǒ yuán gōng chà bù duō shí duō rén,

现在我员工差不多十多人,

Now I have about 10 employees,

rán hòu kāi le xiǎo xíng de péi xùn xué xiào,

然后开了小型的培训学校,

and I have opened a small training centre.

wèi lái wǔ nián,wǒ yào kuò chōng dào yī bǎi rén zuǒ yòu.

未来五年,我要扩充到一百人左右。

In the next 5 years, I'm going to expand it to about 100 people.

Interviewee 6:

wèi lái wǔ nián,

未来五年,

In the next 5 years,

qí shí jiù shì huì bǎ shǒu biān de zhè jǐ gè xiàng mù,

其实就是会把手边的这几个项目, 

I will complete a few projects that I'm currently working on. 

bǎ tā zuò wán zhěng,zuò hǎo,

把它做完整,做好,

Get it done and done well, 

rán hòu ràng wǒ men gōng sī,

然后让我们公司,    

and then allow our company

jiù shì kě yǐ shùn lì de àn zhào yuán běn de yī gè milestone qù jìn xíng.

就是可以顺利地按照原本的一个milestone去进行。 

to successfully reach the intended milestone. 

Useful Phrases For Talking About Plans That Are Certain

要 yào is used when someone is "planning to", "going to" or "preparing to" do something.

Interviewee 5:

wèi lái wǔ nián,wǒ yào kuò chōng dào yī bǎi rén zuǒ yòu.

未来五年,我扩充到一百人左右。

In the next 5 years, I'm going to expand it to about 100 people.

Example 1:

nǐ jīn wǎn yào zuò shén me? 

你今晚做什么?

What are you going to do this evening?

wǒ jīn wǎn yào dǎ sǎo fáng zi.

我今晚打扫房子。

I'm going to clean the house.

Example 2:

wǒ men yào chī shén me wǔ fàn?

我们吃什么午饭? 

What are we going to have for lunch?

wǒ men yào chī jī dàn chǎo fàn.

我们吃鸡蛋炒饭。

We're going to have egg fried rice.

会 huì can be used to indicate that something will happen or that someone will do something.

Interviewee 6:

wèi lái wǔ nián,

未来五年,

In the next 5 years,

qí shí jiù shì huì bǎ shǒu biān de zhè jǐ gè xiàng mù,

其实就是把手边的这几个项目, 

I will complete a few projects that I'm currently working on. 

bǎ tā zuò wán zhěng,zuò hǎo.

把它做完整,做好。

Get it done and done well.

Example 1:

huì lái ma?

来吗? 

Will you come?

huì lái de.

来的。

I will come.

Example 2:

lǎo bǎn huì tóng yì ma?

老板同意吗?

Will the boss agree?

huì tóng yì de.

同意的。 

He will agree.

打算 dǎ suàn: to plan / to intend

Example 1:

nǐ men dǎ suàn shén me shí hòu jié hūn?

你们打算什么时候结婚?

When are you planning to get married?

wǒ men dǎ suàn míng nián xià tiān jié hūn.

我们打算明年夏天结婚。

We're planning to get married next summer.

Example 2:

nǐ bì yè hòu dǎ suàn zuò shén me?

你毕业后打算做什么?

What are you planning to do after graduation?

dǎ suàn kāi yī jiā fàn diàn.

打算开一家饭店。

I'm planning to open a restaurant.

准备 zhǔn bèi: get ready / to prepare

Example 1:

zhǔn bèi chū mén.

准备出门。

I’m getting ready to go out.

Example 2:

zhǔn bèi chū guó gōng zuò.

准备出国工作。

He is going to work abroad.

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计划 jì huà: to plan / to map out

Example 1:

jì huà wǔ shí suì qián tuì xiū.

计划五十岁前退休。

I plan to retire before the age of fifty.

Example 2:

jì huà xià gè yuè jiǎn zhòng 8 gōng jīn.

计划下个月减重8公斤。

He plans to lose 8 kilograms next month.

Useful Phrases For Talking About Situations Where Your Plans Are Not So Certain

可能会 kě néng huì: might (probably)

Interviewee 2:

wǔ nián de huà,wǒ kě néng huì kāi gè huà zhuāng pǐn diàn la.

五年的话,我可能会开个化妆品店啦。

5 years... I might open a cosmetics shop.

Example 1:

nǐ shén me shí hòu fā yóu jiàn gěi wǒ?

你什么时候发邮件给我?

When are you going to send me the email?

wǒ míng tiān kě néng huì fā yóu jiàn gěi nǐ.

我明天可能会发邮件给你。

I might send you the email tomorrow.

Example 2:

kě néng huì qù shàng hǎi gōng zuò.

可能会去上海工作。

He might go to Shanghai for work.

希望 xī wàng: hope / wish / want

Example 1:

xī wàng nǐ bù yào zài chí dào le.

希望你不要再迟到了。

I hope you won't be late again. 

Example 2:

bà mā hěn xī wàng wǒ biàn chéng yì wàn fù wēng.

爸妈很希望我变成亿万富翁。

My parents really hope that I become a billionaire.

Great Phrases From The Interviews

Interviewee 1:

边走边看 biān zǒu biān kàn

wèi lái wǔ nián de guī huà,biān zǒu biān kàn luo.

 未来五年的规划,边走边看啰。

My plans for the next 5 years... I'll see what happens.

Interviewee 3:

好好挣钱 hǎo hǎo zhèng

jiù shì hǎo hǎo zhèng qián ma,guò shàng gèng hǎo de shēng huó ma.

就是好好挣钱嘛,过上更好的生活嘛。

Just try hard to make money – have a better life.

Interviewee 4: 

Shì yè yǒu chéng.

事业有成。

To be successful in business.

Interviewee 5: 

 扩充 kuò chōng

wèi lái wǔ nián,wǒ yào kuò chōng dào yī bǎi rén zuǒ yòu.

未来五年,我扩充到一百人左右。

In the next 5 years, I'm going to expand it to about 100 people.

Example:

tā yào kuò chōng dào hǎi wài shì chǎng.

他要扩充到海外市场。

He is going to expand into overseas markets.

Interviewee 6:

做完整,做好 zuò wán zhěng,zuò hǎo

wèi lái wǔ nián,

未来五年,

In the next 5 years,

qí shí jiù shì huì bǎ shǒu biān de zhè jǐ gè xiàng mù,

其实就是会把手边的这几个项目,

I will complete a few projects that I'm currently working on.

bǎ tā zuò wán zhěng,zuò hǎo.

把它做完整,做好

Get it done and done well.

Example:

lǎo bǎn,qǐng fàng xīn! 

老板,请放心!

Boss, please rest assured! 

wǒ huì bǎ zhè gè xiàng mù zuò wán zhěng, zuò hǎo de.

我会把这个项目做完整,做好的。

I will get this project done and done well.