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

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* 我 等会儿<em>要</em> 给 妈妈 打电话 。  <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>yào</em> gěi māma diànhuà.</span> <span class="trans">I am going to call my mom in a little bit.</span>
 
* 我 等会儿<em>要</em> 给 妈妈 打电话 。  <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>yào</em> gěi māma 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>
 
* 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 <em>yào</em> mǎi yī gè iPhone.</span><span class="trans">I am going to buy an iPhone tomorrow.</span>
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* 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>
 
* 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 <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 <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 <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>
 
* 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>
 
  
 
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==See also==
 
==See also==

Revision as of 02:46, 14 November 2014

The auxiliary verb 要 (yào) has several different meanings, and here we'll tackle the "be going to" meaning. This can be confusing at first, dealing with the multiple meanings of 要 (yào), but stick with it!

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.

Subject + 要 + Verb

Examples

  • 我 今 年 学 中文 。 yào xué Zhōngwén.I am planning to learn Chinese this year.
  • 我 下 个 月 去 中国 工作 。 yào qù Zhōnggúo gōngzùo.I am going to China to work next month.
  • 星期天 我 去 北京 。 Xīngqītiān wǒ yào qù Běijīng. I am going to Beijing on Sunday.
  • 我 等会儿 给 妈妈 打电话 。 yào gěi māma diànhuà. I am going to call my mom in a little bit.
  • 不好意思 , 我 出去 一 下 。 Bùhǎoyìsi, wǒ yào chūqù yī xià.Pardon me, I am going out real quick.
  • 我 明天 买 一 个 iPhone 。 Wǒ míngtiān yào mǎi yī gè iPhone.I am going to buy an iPhone tomorrow.
  • 下班 以后 你 去 哪里 ? Xiàbān yǐhòu nǐ yào qù nǎlǐ? Where are you planning to go after work?
  • 去 吃饭 , 你 去 吗 ? yào qù chīfàn, nǐ qù ma? I am going to go eat. Do you want to go?
  • 做 咖啡 , 你 喝 吗 ? yào zùo kāfēi, nǐ hē ma? I am going to make coffee, do you want to drink some?

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.


  • 去 吃饭 , 你 去 吗 ? yào qù chīfàn, nǐ qù ma? I am going to go eat. Do you want to go?
  • 做 咖啡 , 你 喝 吗 ? yào zùo kāfēi, nǐ hē ma? I am going to make coffee, do you want to drink some?

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Dictionaries