yùliào: 预料 - To Expect, To Anticipate, To Foresee

• Keywords: 预料, yùliào, how to use 预料, 预料 meaning, Chinese for expect, Chinese for anticipate, foresee in Chinese, 预料 vs 期待, 预料 vs 预计, learn Chinese, Contextual Chinese.
• Summary: Discover the meaning of 预料 (yùliào), the essential Chinese verb for “to expect,” “to anticipate,” or “to foresee.” This comprehensive guide will help you understand how to use 预料 in practical situations, from business forecasts to surprising daily events. Learn the crucial difference between 预料 (yùliào), 期待 (qīdài), and 预计 (yùjì) to express your thoughts with precision and avoid common mistakes made by English speakers learning Mandarin Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): yùliào
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: To anticipate, foresee, or predict an outcome, typically based on existing information or analysis.
• In a Nutshell: 预料 (yùliào) is about a mental calculation or prediction. Think of it as using your head to figure out what's likely to happen. It's more about logical forecasting and less about emotional hope. If you analyze a situation and conclude a certain result is probable, you are using 预料.

• 预 (yù): This character means “in advance” or “beforehand.” It's found in words related to preparation, like 预习 (yùxí - to preview a lesson) and 预订 (yùdìng - to book in advance). It sets up the idea of doing something before an event occurs.
• 料 (liào): This character can mean “material” or “substance” (like in 材料 cáiliào), but it also carries the meaning of “to manage,” “to handle,” or “to expect/guess.” In this context, it implies processing information to arrive at a conclusion.
• Together, 预料 (yùliào) literally means “to process information in advance” or “to guess beforehand,” which perfectly captures the modern meaning of anticipating or foreseeing.

While not as deeply philosophical as terms like `关系 (guānxi)`, 预料 (yùliào) connects to a cultural appreciation for planning, foresight, and being prepared. Traditional Chinese thought often emphasizes considering future possibilities and acting accordingly. A key cultural point for learners is distinguishing 预料 (yùliào) from the English word “expect.” In English, “I expect you to be on time” is a command or an expression of a requirement. This is a major point of confusion. 预料 (yùliào) is almost never used this way. It is a neutral prediction, not a demand. To express a requirement, a Chinese speaker would use `要求 (yāoqiú)`. For instance, a Western boss might say, “I expect this report on my desk by 5 PM.” A Chinese boss expressing the same idea would say, “我要求这份报告五点前放在我桌上 (Wǒ yāoqiú zhè fèn bàogào wǔ diǎn qián fàng zài wǒ zhuō shàng).” They would not use 预料. Using 预料 would sound strange, like “I predict this report will be on my desk by 5 PM,” which lacks authority.

预料 (yùliào) is used in both formal and informal contexts, but it always carries a sense of rational prediction.

• Formal Contexts: You will frequently see 预料 in news reports, business analyses, and weather forecasts. It's used to talk about economic trends, election outcomes, and scientific results.
• Informal Contexts: In daily conversation, it's very common in its negative form `没预料到 (méi yùliào dào)` or in the extremely popular idiom `出乎意料 (chū hū yì liào)`, both meaning “unexpectedly.”
• Connotation: The term itself is neutral. The outcome being anticipated can be positive or negative. The focus is on the act of prediction itself.

• Example 1:
  • 结果比我们预料的要好得多。
  • Pinyin: Jiéguǒ bǐ wǒmen yùliào de yào hǎo de duō.
  • English: The result was much better than we had anticipated.
  • Analysis: A classic example showing a comparison between a prediction (预料) and the actual outcome.
• Example 2:
  • 这完全在我的预料之中。
  • Pinyin: Zhè wánquán zài wǒ de yùliào zhī zhōng.
  • English: This was entirely within my expectation (i.e., I totally saw this coming).
  • Analysis: `在…之中 (zài…zhī zhōng)` is a common structure meaning “within…” or “in the middle of…”.
• Example 3:
  • 他的反应真是出乎我的预料。
  • Pinyin: Tā de fǎnyìng zhēnshi chū hū wǒ de yùliào.
  • English: His reaction was truly beyond my expectations (i.e., was really unexpected).
  • Analysis: `出乎意料 (chū hū yì liào)` is a very common set phrase (chengyu). This sentence uses a slight variation, `出乎我的预料`.
• Example 4:
  • 正如我们所预料的，会议被推迟了。
  • Pinyin: Zhèngrú wǒmen suǒ yùliào de, huìyì bèi tuīchí le.
  • English: Just as we predicted, the meeting was postponed.
  • Analysis: `正如…所…的 (zhèngrú…suǒ…de)` is a formal structure meaning “just as…”
• Example 5:
  • 我没预料到情况会变得这么复杂。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ méi yùliào dào qíngkuàng huì biàn de zhème fùzá.
  • English: I didn't anticipate that the situation would become so complicated.
  • Analysis: The negative form `没预料到 (méi yùliào dào)` is extremely common for expressing surprise. `到 (dào)` acts as a result complement.
• Example 6:
  • 分析师预料下个季度经济将缓慢增长。
  • Pinyin: Fēnxīshī yùliào xià ge jìdù jīngjì jiāng huǎnmàn zēngzhǎng.
  • English: Analysts predict that the economy will grow slowly next quarter.
  • Analysis: This shows 预料 in a formal, economic context. `将 (jiāng)` is a formal way to say “will.”
• Example 7:
  • 没有人预料到这支队伍会赢得冠军。
  • Pinyin: Méiyǒu rén yùliào dào zhè zhī duìwu huì yíngdé guànjūn.
  • English: Nobody expected this team to win the championship.
  • Analysis: Used here to talk about a surprising outcome in sports.
• Example 8:
  • 你预料到他会同意吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ yùliào dào tā huì tóngyì ma?
  • English: Did you anticipate that he would agree?
  • Analysis: Demonstrates how to use 预料 in a question.
• Example 9:
  • 虽然我预料项目可能会失败，但我内心深处仍然期待它能成功。
  • Pinyin: Suīrán wǒ yùliào xiàngmù kěnéng huì shībài, dàn wǒ nèixīn shēnchù réngrán qīdài tā néng chénggōng.
  • English: Although I predicted the project would probably fail, deep down I still hoped it could succeed.
  • Analysis: This sentence perfectly illustrates the difference between 预料 (rational prediction) and `期待` (emotional hope).
• Example 10:
  • 强台风的破坏力远超气象部门的预料。
  • Pinyin: Qiáng táifēng de pòhuàilì yuǎn chāo qìxiàng bùmén de yùliào.
  • English: The destructive power of the strong typhoon far exceeded the meteorological department's forecast.
  • Analysis: Here, 预料 is used as a noun meaning “prediction” or “forecast.”

• `预料 (yùliào)` vs. `期待 (qīdài)` - Head vs. Heart: This is the most critical distinction.
  • 预料 (yùliào) is a logical prediction. It's what your brain tells you will happen.
  • 期待 (qīdài) is an emotional hope. It's what your heart wants to happen.
  • Correct: 我预料明天会下雨，但我期待是晴天。 (Wǒ yùliào míngtiān huì xiàyǔ, dàn wǒ qīdài shì qíngtiān.) - I predict it will rain tomorrow, but I hope for a sunny day.
  • Incorrect: 我预料和你见面。(I predict meeting you.) This sounds robotic. You should say: 我期待和你见面。 (Wǒ qīdài hé nǐ jiànmiàn.) - I look forward to meeting you.
• `预料 (yùliào)` vs. `预计 (yùjì)` - General vs. Specific Forecast: These two are very close and sometimes interchangeable.
  • 预计 (yùjì) means “to estimate” and is often used for more formal, data-driven, or numerical forecasts. Think budgets, timelines, and economic reports. (e.g., 预计成本会增加10%。- It is estimated that costs will increase by 10%.)
  • 预料 (yùliào) can be based on data but can also include more general analysis or even intuition. It's slightly broader.
• False Friend: “Expect” as a demand:
  • As mentioned in the cultural section, do not use 预料 to mean “require” or “demand.”
  • Incorrect: 老师预料我们交作业。(The teacher predicts we hand in the homework.)
  • Correct: 老师要求我们交作业。(Lǎoshī yāoqiú wǒmen jiāo zuòyè.) - The teacher requires us to hand in the homework.

• 出乎意料 (chū hū yì liào) - A very common idiom meaning “unexpectedly” or “contrary to expectations.”
• 期待 (qīdài) - To look forward to; to await with hope. The emotional counterpart to the logical 预料.
• 预计 (yùjì) - To estimate; to forecast. A close synonym often used for formal, numerical predictions.
• 预测 (yùcè) - To predict; to forecast. Very similar to 预料 and 预计, often used for scientific or weather-related predictions.
• 预感 (yùgǎn) - A premonition; a hunch. A prediction based purely on feeling or intuition, not logic.
• 预见 (yùjiàn) - To foresee. Implies a stronger sense of clarity or vision about the future than 预料.
• 料到 (liàodào) - The resultative form, “to have foreseen something.” Most commonly used in the negative `没料到 (méi liàodào)` to mean “didn't see that coming.”