<p>In practice, I doubt if anyone really says 明天他要回来了 although there seems to be no grammar mistakes in the sentence. 明天他就要回来了 or 明天他就回来了 is more likely to be used colloquially.  </p>

<p>I think it probably because the way Chinese expresses this is different from English.  If we want just to express "he will be back tomorrow", we   would say 他明天回来.  </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-05-26T22:43:10.100Z
2020-05-26T22:49:13.410Z
2020-05-26T22:49:13.410Z
dan
<p>&quot;就&quot; in  &quot;X 就 Y&quot; denotes &quot; when the condition X is met, the occurrence Y will happen right away&quot;</p>
<p>In &quot;明天他就要回来了&quot; the condition is &quot;when tomorrow arrive&quot; and the occurrence is &quot;he will come back&quot;</p>
<blockquote>
<p>明天他要回来了 --&gt; he will come back tomorrow</p>
<p>明天他(就)要回来了 --&gt; he will come back (right away) tomorrow</p>
<p><em>meaning &quot;he will come back immediately or shortly after tomorrow arrives&quot;</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/phorum/read.php?7,138618,page=1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">A long discussion about 就</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-05-26T12:35:08.997Z
2020-05-26T12:35:08.997Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Tang Ho
<p>There are only a little bit different on emotion.</p>

<p>（1）明天他就要回来了。 (more expected) ("就要" like "be about to happen""almost") To meet husband after his military service. Some situation like that. </p>

<p>（2）明天他要回来了。 only 要 similar to "will" He will come back tomorrow. Just narrate a fact without emotion.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-05-26T07:33:38.200Z
2020-05-26T07:33:38.200Z
高鵬翔
<pre><code>（1）明天他就要回来了。
（2）明天他要回来了。
</code></pre>

<p>I wonder if both sentences are different. Can anyone tell me the difference between 就要。。。了 and 要。。。了? </p>

<grammar><meaning-in-context>
Difference between 就要。。。了 and 要。。。了
# Difference between 就要。。。了 and 要。。。了

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-05-26)

（1）明天他就要回来了。
（2）明天他要回来了。

I wonder if both sentences are different. Can anyone tell me the difference between 就要。。。了 and 要。。。了?

**Tags:** grammar, meaning-in-context

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-05-26. Score: 4

In practice, I doubt if anyone really says 明天他要回来了 although there seems to be no grammar mistakes in the sentence. 明天他就要回来了 or 明天他就回来了 is more likely to be used colloquially.

I think it probably because the way Chinese expresses this is different from English. If we want just to express "he will be back tomorrow", we would say 他明天回来.


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-05-26. Score: 3

"就" in "X 就 Y" denotes " when the condition X is met, the occurrence Y will happen right away"

In "明天他就要回来了" the condition is "when tomorrow arrive" and the occurrence is "he will come back"

> 明天他要回来了 --> he will come back tomorrow
>
> 明天他(就)要回来了 --> he will come back (right away) tomorrow
>
> *meaning "he will come back immediately or shortly after tomorrow arrives"*

[A long discussion about 就](http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/phorum/read.php?7,138618,page=1)


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-05-26. Score: 2

There are only a little bit different on emotion.

（1）明天他就要回来了。 (more expected) ("就要" like "be about to happen""almost") To meet husband after his military service. Some situation like that.

（2）明天他要回来了。 only 要 similar to "will" He will come back tomorrow. Just narrate a fact without emotion.


---

