即将 is an adverb meaning 'imminent' or 'about to (happen)' — it signals that an event is very close in time, usually within hours, days, or at most a few weeks. The character 即 means 'immediately' or 'right now', while 将 indicates future intention or expectation; together, they form a fixed compound expressing near-future certainty, stronger and more formal than 就要 or 快要.

This word is commonly used in written Chinese — news headlines, official announcements, academic writing, and formal speech — to convey urgency or scheduled inevitability. It rarely appears in casual conversation. 即将 always modifies a verb phrase and cannot stand alone as a subject or object. It’s often followed by verbs like 到来, 开始, 举行, 发布, or 结束, and frequently appears with time markers like 明天, 下周, or 近期 to reinforce temporal proximity.