zhōumò wǒmen dǎsuàn yāoqǐng péngyou lái jiā kàn diànyǐng.

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Breakdown of zhōumò wǒmen dǎsuàn yāoqǐng péngyou lái jiā kàn diànyǐng.

• 我们wǒmen: we
• 朋友péngyou: friend
• 看kàn: to watch

Questions & Answers about zhōumò wǒmen dǎsuàn yāoqǐng péngyou lái jiā kàn diànyǐng.

Why does the sentence just start with 周末 and not something like “on the weekend”? Do we need a preposition in Chinese?

Chinese normally doesn’t use a preposition equivalent to English “on” for time words like weekend, Monday, tomorrow.

So 周末 at the beginning simply functions as a time expression: “(At) the weekend, …”.
You can also move it: 我们周末打算邀请… — both orders are fine.
If you want to say “this weekend” more clearly, you can say 这个周末 at the front: 这个周末我们打算…

What’s the nuance of 打算? How is it different from using 要 or 会 for the future?

打算 means “plan / intend to” — it emphasizes a deliberate plan that you have thought about, not just a prediction.

Compare:

• 周末我们打算邀请朋友来家看电影。
  → We plan to invite friends; it’s our intention.
• 周末我们要邀请朋友来家看电影。
  → Also “we’re going to…”, often a bit stronger / more definite.
• 周末我们会邀请朋友来家看电影。
  → More like “we will invite…”, often sounds like predicting a future action or stating a likely outcome.

So 打算 highlights personal intention / plan rather than inevitability or prediction.

Can 打算 be followed directly by a noun, or does it need a verb phrase after it?