we'll
Definition
- Contraction:
- Short form of "we shall" or "we will": "we'll" is a contracted form used in informal and spoken English to combine the pronoun "we" with the auxiliary verbs "shall" or "will," indicating a future action or intention.
Usage Examples
- (We will meet you at the station at noon.)
- (We will have a picnic tomorrow if the weather is nice.)
- (We will do our best to finish the project on time.)
Advanced Usage
"We'll see": an idiomatic phrase expressing uncertainty or a wait-and-see attitude.
- "Can we go to the park?" "We'll see." (The answer is not yet decided; we will decide later.)
"We'll be in touch": a common closing phrase meaning we will contact you later.
- Thank you for your application. We'll be in touch soon. (We will contact you soon.)
Variants and Related Words
- We will (full form): used in formal writing or for emphasis.
- We will not tolerate such behaviour. (We refuse to accept such behaviour.)
- We shall (full form): used in formal or literary contexts, especially with first-person pronouns.
- We shall overcome. (We will succeed.)
Synonyms
- We shall: a more formal alternative for first-person future actions.
- We are going to: a periphrastic future form with similar meaning.
- We are going to leave soon. (We will leave soon.)
Related Idioms
We'll cross that bridge when we come to it: to deal with a problem only when it arises, not beforehand.
- I'm not worried about the budget yet. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. (We will handle the budget issue when it becomes necessary.)
We'll make do: to manage with what is available.
- We don't have all the ingredients, but we'll make do. (We will manage with what we have.)