Meaning
预料 means to anticipate or predict something before it happens, typically based on analysis or judgment. It emphasizes the mental act of foreseeing a future event or outcome. The word carries a neutral tone and is commonly used when discussing whether something matched prior expectations.
Usage
预料 is frequently used in both spoken and written Mandarin, particularly in news reports, formal discussions, and everyday conversations about expectations. It often appears in the patterns '预料到' (to have anticipated) and '出乎预料' (beyond expectation, unexpected). The word can be used for both positive and negative outcomes.
Examples
- 01这个结果完全出乎我的预料。.This result was completely beyond my expectations.
- 02我早就预料到会发生这种情况。.I had already anticipated that this kind of situation would happen.
Characters
Common collocations
- 预料到to have anticipated
- 出乎预料beyond expectation, unexpected
- 不出所料as expected
- 难以预料hard to predict
Antonyms
Origin
预 originally meant 'in advance' or 'beforehand,' while 料 means 'to estimate' or 'to reckon.' Together they form a compound meaning to estimate or expect something before it occurs.