看情况
kàn qíngkuàng
It depends · trad. 看情況
看情况 (kàn qíngkuàng) means "it depends" or "we'll see how things go." Speakers use it as a flexible, often diplomatic, non-committal answer when they cannot or do not want to give a definite yes or no.
What does 看情况 (kàn qíngkuàng) mean?
看情况 (kàn qíngkuàng) means “it depends” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “look at the situation.”
When to use it
Neutral and very common. It's a polite way to avoid a direct answer. For a more formal or explicit "it depends," you could use 视情况而定 (shì qíngkuàng ér dìng). When you want to say "I'm not sure," you might use 不确定 (bù quèdìng).
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “kahn ching-KWAHNG.” The first syllable is a falling tone, and the second and third are rising and falling tones respectively.
Other ways to say it
- 不确定bù quèdìngnot sure
- 视情况而定shì qíngkuàng ér dìngdepends on the situation (more formal)
- 到时候再说dào shíhou zài shuōwe'll see then / let's talk about it later
Examples
你明天能来吗？看情况。
nǐ míngtiān néng lái ma? Kàn qíngkuàng.
Can you come tomorrow? It depends.
我们能按时完成吗？这要看情况。
wǒmen néng ànshí wánchéng ma? Zhè yào kàn qíngkuàng.
Can we finish on time? That depends on the situation.
我不知道，得看情况再说。
wǒ bù zhīdào, děi kàn qíngkuàng zài shuō.
I don't know, I'll have to see how things go.
Pro tip: 看情况 is often used when you want to keep your options open or avoid making a firm commitment. It's a polite way to say "maybe" without saying "maybe."
Related phrases
没办法 · Nothing can be done算了 · Forget it好主意 · Good idea
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