将来
the future; in the future
jiānglái
What does 将来 mean?
将来 (jiānglái) is a noun meaning 'the future' — the time yet to come, usually the medium-to-distant future rather than 'later today.' It refers to a period, not a grammatical tense: Chinese has no verb conjugation, so 将来 (or 会 huì, 要 yào) is how a speaker signals futurity. English speakers should note two differences.
First, 将来 is a time word, so it typically sits early in the sentence — 将来我想当医生 ('in the future I want to be a doctor') — not tacked on at the end like English 'in the future.' Second, 将来 leans abstract and life-planning ('someday, eventually'), whereas 以后 (yǐhòu) covers both 'the future' and the concrete 'after (an event).' Say 将来 when musing about long-term prospects; say 以后 for 'after class' or 'from now on.'
Note: Slightly more written and formal than the colloquial 以后 (yǐhòu). Fine in conversation, but 以后 is what most people reach for casually.
Character breakdown
shall; will; going to
to come
Memory hook: 'What will come' (将 = will + 来 = come) is the time that is going to arrive — the future.
Example sentences
将来我想去中国工作。
Jiānglái wǒ xiǎng qù Zhōngguó gōngzuò.
In the future I want to go to China to work.
spoken
我们要为将来做好准备。
Wǒmen yào wèi jiānglái zuò hǎo zhǔnbèi.
We need to prepare well for the future.
neutral
在不久的将来，这个城市会有地铁。
Zài bùjiǔ de jiānglái, zhège chéngshì huì yǒu dìtiě.
In the near future, this city will have a subway.
written
你对将来有什么打算？
Nǐ duì jiānglái yǒu shénme dǎsuàn?
What are your plans for the future?
spoken
Common phrases with 将来
Synonyms
未来 is more formal and grand — 'the future' of a nation, technology, or humanity. 将来 is more personal and everyday ('my future plans'). News and speeches prefer 未来; 将来 suits ordinary conversation about your own life.
以后 is the casual go-to for 'the future / afterward' and also means 'after (something)' — 吃饭以后 ('after eating'). 将来 only means the abstract future, never 'after an event.'
Don't confuse 将来 with
将要 is an adverb meaning 'about to / will soon' that goes before a verb (火车将要出发 'the train is about to depart'). 将来 is a noun naming the time period itself.
Near-synonyms, but 未来 is loftier and more written. Confusing the two isn't wrong, just a register mismatch — don't say 将来 when talking about the future of AI or the planet.
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