====== yùliào: 预料 - To Expect, To Anticipate, To Foresee ======
===== Quick Summary =====
  * **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.
===== Core Meaning =====
  * **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**.
===== Character Breakdown =====
  * **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.
===== Cultural Context and Significance =====
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.
===== Practical Usage in Modern China =====
**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 Sentences =====
  * **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."
===== Nuances and Common Mistakes =====
  * **`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.
===== Related Terms and Concepts =====
  * [[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."