Expressing "as one likes" with "jiu"

When we want to express "to do something as one pleases", we can use the "想 + verb +就 + verb" form.

Structure

This structure is similar to how we would say in English "Whatever I want to eat, I eat" or "Wherever I want to go, I go". What comes after the 想 and 就 are the same verb. You can also add in a question word, like 什么, 哪儿, or 怎么.

想 + Verb + 就 + Verb

Examples

• 你想来就来。If you want to come, come.
• 想去哪儿就去哪。Wherever you want to go, go there.
• 想做就做，不想做就不做。Do what you want to do, don't do what you don't want to do.
• 你想吃什么就吃什么，我无所谓。Eat whatever you want, I don't care.
• 我想怎样就怎样，不关你的事。I will do it how I want to do it. It has nothing to do with you.

See also

• Comparing "cai" and "jiu"
• Events in quick succession with "yi... jiu"
• Expressing earliness with "jiu"
• Expressing indifference with "jiu"
• Limiting Scope with "jiu"
• "If…, then…" with "ruguo…, jiu…"
• Expressing "Anyway" as "fanzheng"

Sources and further reading

Books

• 现代汉语虚词例释 (p. 305)→buy

Dictionaries

• 现代汉语词典（第5版） (p. 145) →buy