talkiNG aBoUt the FUtUre
36.3
再 zài ‘(do) again in the future’
再见！
再見！
Zài jiàn!
See you again! (Goodbye)
我没听清楚，请你再说一次。
我沒聽清楚，請你再說一次。
Wǒ méi tīng qīngchu, qǐng nǐ zài shuō yīcì.
I didn’t hear clearly, please say it again.
可能 kěnéng ‘possible’
她可能不学中文了。
她可能不學中文了。
Tā kěnéng bù xué Zhōngwén le.
She may not study Chinese any more.
C 15
Notice that the adverb 再 zài is closely related to the adverb 又 yòu. The adverb 再 zài means
(to do) again in the future, and the adverb 又 yòu means (to do) again in the past. Sentences
with 又 yòu ‘(to do) again in the past’ always end with 了 le.
你前天迟到了。昨天又迟到了。
你前天遲到了。昨天又遲到了。
Nǐ qiántiān chídào le. Zuótiān yòu chídào le.
You were late the day before yesterday. Yesterday you were late again.
C37.5
36.3 Indicating future time with the modal verb 会/會 huì
The modal verb 会/會 huì can be used to indicate future time. The meaning of ‘future’ is
associated with the meanings of ‘possibility’ and ‘prediction’ conveyed by 会/會 huì.
我想他不会来了。
我想他不會來了。
Wǒ xiǎng tā bù huì lái le.
I don’t think he will come.
Sometimes, 会/會 huì simply indicates future.
天气预报说，明天一定会下雨。
天氣預報說，明天一定會下雨。
Tiānqì yùbào shuō, míngtiān yīdìng huì xià yǔ.
The weather report says tomorrow it will definitely rain.
C12.1
