即将

The Chinese word 即将 (jiāng jí) is composed of two characters: 将 (jiāng) and 即 (jí). 将 originally meant "to lead" or "to command", but in modern Chinese, it is often used as an auxiliary verb to indicate the future tense or to express intention. 即, on the other hand, originally meant "to arrive" or "to reach", but it is now commonly used as an adverb to mean "immediately" or "at once". When these two characters are combined, 即将 takes on the meaning of "about to" or "on the verge of". For example, the sentence "他即将出发" (tā jiāng jí chūfā) means "He is about to set off".