Difference between revisions of "Expressing "be going to" with "yao""

Latest revision as of 08:58, 21 April 2021

Level

A1 / HSK2
Level

A1
Level

HSK2
Similar to
Similar to
- Expressing "would like to" with "xiang" (HSK1)
- Expressing "about to happen" with "le" (HSK2)
- Expressing "about to" with "jiuyao" (HSK2)
Used for

Referring to the future, Referring to changes of situation, Expressing desires, Expressing determination
Keywords

要

The auxiliary verb 要 (yào) has several different meanings, and here we'll tackle the "be going to" meaning. You'll use this when you are discussing your plans with someone.

Structure

The idea behind this usage of 要 (yào) is that someone is "planning to" or "going to" or "preparing to" do something. It's not that they just want to, or have to, it's that they fully expect to do it. It's in their plan.

This usage of 要 (yào) typically includes a time word of some sort, which may be placed before or after the subject. This is fairly logical; if you're discussing plans for the future, you're quite likely to say when you plan to do things.

Subj. + Time + 要 + Verb

Time + Subj. + 要 + Verb

Note that the time word is not strictly required, and when it's missing, you may at first find yourself wondering which usage of 要 (yào) you're dealing with. This is normal; it just takes some getting used to.

Examples

我明天要买一个 iPhone。 Wǒ míngtiān yào mǎi yī gè iPhone.I am going to buy an iPhone tomorrow.
你们现在要出去吗？ Nǐmen xiànzài yào chūqù ma?Are you all going out now?
我们今年要去美国。 Wǒmen jīnnián yào qù Měiguó.We are planning to go to the U.S. this year.
他 下个月 要来中国工作。 Tā xià gè yuè yào lái Zhōngguó gōngzuò.He is coming to China to work next month.
你 下个星期 要去她家吃晚饭吗？ Nǐ xià gè xīngqī yào qù tā jiā chī wǎnfàn ma?Are you going to her place for dinner next week?
这个 星期天 你要做什么？Zhège Xīngqītiān nǐ yào zuò shénme?What are you doing this Sunday?
我晚上要给妈妈打电话。 Wǒ wǎnshang yào gěi māma dǎ diànhuà.I am going to call my mom this evening.
下午老师要来我家。 Xiàwǔ lǎoshī yào lái wǒ jiā.The teacher is coming to my place this afternoon.
老板明天要见他们吗？ Lǎobǎn míngtiān yào jiàn tāmen ma?Is the boss going to meet them tomorrow?
下班以后 你要回家吗？ Xiàbān yǐhòu nǐ yào huíjiā ma?Are you planning to go home after getting off work?

Sources and further reading

Books

HSK Standard Course 2 (pp. 4) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
现代汉语八百词（增订本） [ →buy]

{{Source|Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级)]]→buy

Dictionaries

现代汉语词典（第5版） (p. ) →buy

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 == Structure ==
-The idea behind this usage of 要 (yào) is that someone is "planning to" or "going to" or "preparing to" do something.  It's not that they just ''want to'', or ''have to'', it's that they fully expect to do it.  It's in their plan. Because of the time indication, the following examples show that the subject wants and plans to do the action stated.
+The idea behind this usage of 要 (yào) is that someone is "planning to" or "going to" or "preparing to" do something.  It's not that they just ''want to'', or ''have to'', it's that they fully expect to do it.  It's in their plan.
+This usage of 要 (yào) typically includes a [[time noun|time word]] of some sort, which may be placed before or after the subject. This is fairly logical; if you're discussing plans for the future, you're quite likely to say when you plan to do things.
 <div class="jiegou">
-Subject + 要 + Verb
+Subj. + Time + 要 + Verb
 </div>
-== Examples ==
+<div class="jiegou">
-<div class="liju">
+Time + Subj. + 要 + Verb
-* 我 今 年 <em>要</em> 学 中文 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ jīnnián <em>yào</em> xué Zhōngwén.</span><span class="trans">I am planning to learn Chinese this year.</span>
-* 我 下 个 月 <em>要</em> 去 中国 工作 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ xià gè yuè <em>yào</em> qù Zhōngguó gōngzuò.</span><span class="trans">I am going to China to work next month.</span>
-* 星期天 我 <em>要</em> 去 北京 。 <span class="pinyin">Xīngqītiān wǒ <em>yào</em> qù Běijīng.</span> <span class="trans">I am going to Beijing on Sunday.</span>
-* 我 等会儿<em>要</em> 给 妈妈 打电话 。  <span class="pinyin">Wǒ děnghuǐr <em>yào</em> gěi māma dǎ diànhuà.</span> <span class="trans">I am going to call my mom in a little bit.</span>
-* 不好意思 ， 我 <em>要</em> 出去 一 下 。 <span class="pinyin">Bùhǎoyìsi, wǒ <em>yào</em> chūqù yī xià.</span><span class="trans">Pardon me, I am going out real quick.</span>
-* 我 明天 <em>要</em> 买 一 个 iPhone 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ míngtiān <em>yào</em> mǎi yī gè iPhone.</span><span class="trans">I am going to buy an iPhone tomorrow.</span>
-* 下班 以后 你 <em>要</em> 去 哪里 ？ <span class="pinyin">Xiàbān yǐhòu nǐ <em>yào</em> qù nǎlǐ?</span> <span class="trans">Where are you planning to go after work?</span>
-* 我 下午<em>要</em>  去 你家。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ xiàwǔ<em>yào</em> qù nǐjiā.</span> <span class="trans">I am going to your place this afternoon. Do you want to go?</span>
-* 你 明天<em>要</em> 回 美国 吗？ <span class="pinyin"> nǐ míngtiān<em>yào</em>huí měiguó ma?</span> <span class="trans">Are you going back to the U.S. tomorrow? </span>
 </div>
-In the following examples, although no time period is specified, because the question is out of courtesy, it shows that the speaker is already planning on doing the action stated. Thus, here 要 (yào) is used to show that the subject is going/planning to do something.
+Note that the time word is not strictly required, and when it's missing, you may at first find yourself wondering [[Auxiliary verb "yao" and its multiple meanings|which usage of 要 (yào)]] you're dealing with. This is normal; it just takes some getting used to.
+== Examples ==
 <div class="liju">
-* 我 <em>要</em> 去 吃饭 ,你去吗？ <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>yào</em> qù chīfàn, nǐ qù ma?</span> <span class="trans">I am going to go eat. Do you want to go?</span>
+*我  <strong>明天</strong> <em>要</em> 买 一 个  iPhone。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <strong>míngtiān</strong> <em>yào</em> mǎi yī gè iPhone.</span><span class="trans">I am going to buy an iPhone tomorrow.</span>
-* 我 <em>要</em> 做 咖啡 ， 你 喝 吗 ？ <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>yào</em> zùo kāfēi, nǐ hē ma?</span> <span class="trans">I am going to make coffee, do you want to drink some?</span>
+* 你们 <strong>现在</strong> <em>要</em> 出去 吗？ <span class="pinyin">Nǐmen <strong>xiànzài</strong> <em>yào</em> chūqù ma?</span><span class="trans">Are you all going out now?</span>
-* 我 <em>要</em> 去 ， 你 去 吗 ？ <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>yào</em> qù chīfàn, nǐ qù ma?</span> <span class="trans">I am going to go eat. Do you want to go?</span>
+*我们 <strong>今年</strong> <em>要</em> 去 美国 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <strong>jīnnián</strong> <em>yào</em> qù Měiguó.</span><span class="trans">We are planning to go to the U.S. this year.</span>
-* 我 <em>要</em> 做 咖啡 ， 你 喝 吗 ？ <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>yào</em> zùo kāfēi, nǐ hē ma?</span> <span class="trans">I am going to make coffee, do you want to drink some?</span>
+*他 <strong>下 个 月</strong> <em>要</em> 来 中国 工作。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <strong>xià gè yuè</strong> <em>yào</em> lái Zhōngguó gōngzuò.</span><span class="trans">He is coming to China to work next month.</span>
-* 我 <em>要</em> 去 吃饭 ， 你 去 吗 ？ <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>yào</em> qù chīfàn, nǐ qù ma?</span> <span class="trans">I am going to go eat. Do you want to go?</span>
+*你 <strong>下 个 星期</strong> <em>要</em> 去 她 家 吃 晚饭 吗？<span class="pinyin"> Nǐ xià gè xīngqī <em>yào</em> qù tā jiā chī wǎnfàn ma?</span><span class="trans">Are you going to her place for dinner next week?</span>
-* 我 <em>要</em> 做 咖啡 ， 你 喝 吗 ？ <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>yào</em> zùo kāfēi, nǐ hē ma?</span> <span class="trans">I am going to make coffee, do you want to drink some?</span>
+*这 个 <strong>星期天</strong> 你 <em>要</em> 做 什么？<span class="pinyin">Zhège <strong>Xīngqītiān</strong> nǐ <em>yào</em> zuò shénme?</span><span class="trans">What are you doing this Sunday?</span>
+*我 <strong>晚上</strong> <em>要</em> 给 妈妈 打电话。  <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <strong> wǎnshang</strong> <em>yào</em> gěi māma dǎ diànhuà.</span><span class="trans">I am going to call my mom this evening.</span>
+*<strong>下午</strong> 老师 <em>要</em>  来 我家。 <span class="pinyin"><strong>Xiàwǔ</strong> lǎoshī <em>yào</em>  lái wǒ jiā.</span><span class="trans">The teacher is coming to my place this afternoon.</span>
+*老板 <strong>明天</strong> <em>要</em> 见 他们 吗？ <span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn <strong>míngtiān</strong> <em>yào</em> jiàn tāmen ma?</span><span class="trans">Is the boss going to meet them tomorrow? </span>
+*<strong>下班 以后</strong> 你 <em>要</em> 回家 吗？ <span class="pinyin"><strong>Xiàbān yǐhòu</strong> nǐ <em>yào</em> huíjiā ma?</span><span class="trans">Are you planning to go home after getting off work?</span>
 </div>
@@ Line 54: / Line 50: @@
 === Books ===
-*[[现代汉语八百词（增订本）]] (p. ) [http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%85%AB%E7%99%BE%E8%AF%8D/dp/B001198GSW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345693275&sr=8-1 →buy]
+{{Source|HSK Standard Course 2|4}}
+{{Source|现代汉语八百词（增订本）|}}
-*[[Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级)]][http://www.amazon.cn/gp/product/B004WA6JSQ/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B004WA6JSQ →buy]
+{{Source|Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级)]][http://www.amazon.cn/gp/product/B004WA6JSQ/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B004WA6JSQ →buy]
 === Dictionaries ===
 * [[现代汉语词典（第5版）]] (p. ) [http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%AF%8D%E5%85%B8/dp/B001B1RZCI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345693609&sr=8-1 →buy]
 [[Category:A1 grammar points]]
-{{Basic Grammar|要|A1|Subject + 要 + Verb；Subject + 要 + Verb + 了|我 <em>要</em> 去 吃饭，你 去 吗？|grammar point|ASGVT2KN}}
+{{HSK|HSK2}}{{2021-HSK|HSK2}}
+{{Basic Grammar|要|A1|Subj. + 要 + Verb (+ 了)|我 <em>要</em> 去 吃饭，你 去 吗？|grammar point|ASGVT2KN}}
+{{Similar|Expressing "about to" with "jiuyao"}}
 {{Similar|About to happen with "le"}}
 {{Similar|"Would like to" with "xiang"}}
@@ Line 69: / Line 66: @@
 {{Used for|Expressing determination}}
 {{Used for|Referring to the future}}
-{{Used for|Expressing time and date}}
 {{Used for|Referring to changes of situation}}
 {{POS|Verbs}}