Auxiliary verb "yao" and its multiple meanings
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Level
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Similar to
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Used for
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Keywords
You probably already know the basic meaning of 要 (yào): "to want." It's actually a quite versatile word, though, and can also take on the meanings of "to need" as well as "will (do something)." In every case, context is crucial for figuring out which meaning someone is trying to express.
Contents
要 as "want to"
In Chinese, 要 (yào), the verb "to want" doesn't quite function like the English. It means "want to" (similar to 想), but its tone is quite firm.
Structure
Subject + 要 + Verb
Examples
- 我 要 吃饭。 I want to eat.
- 她 要 喝 啤酒 。(this sentence could be used ordering food in a restaurant)She wants to drink beer.
- 我 要 跟 你 一起 去 。 I want to go with you.
- 你 要 吃 西餐 吗？Do you want to eat western food?
- 我 要 买 面包。I want to buy bread.
- 你 要 学 中文 吗？Do you want to study Chinese?
- 我 要 去 泰国 旅行。I want to go to Thailand to travel.
- 我 要 买 一 个 新 手机。I want to buy a new cell phone.
- 我 要 在 上海 买 房子。I want to buy an apartment in Shanghai.
- 你 要 跟 我们 一起 吃饭 吗？Do you want to eat with us?
要 as "need to"
If you crank the urgency of "to want" up a few notches, you get "to need." The two meanings overlap, creating a fuzzy, "needy" gray area.
Structure
Same structure here.
Subject + 要 + Verb
Examples
- 太 晚 了 ，我 要 回家 了。 (This could possibly mean "want"; depends on the urgency of the speaker)It's too late; I need to go home.
- 明天 我们 要 上班 。(logically, most people don't really WANT to work)We need to work tomorrow.
- 你 要 付钱 。 (No one WANTS to pay, right?)You need to pay.
- 我 家 里 有 事，我 要 4 点 下班。I have a family matter, I need to leave work at four.
- 没有 牛奶 了，我 要 买 点 牛奶。I don't have any more milk, I need to buy some more.
- 这 个 桌子 坏 了，你 要 换 一 个 桌子。This table broke, You need to exchange it for another table.
- 刚 来 公司，我 还 有 很 多 东西 要 学。I just started working here, there is still a lot of things I need to learn
- 我 有 一些 事情 要 和 你 谈 一 谈。I have a few things I need to discuss with you.
- 我 下周 去 美国，你 要 我 帮 你 买 东西 吗？Next week I go to America, do you need me to help you with anything?
- 做 老师 一定 要 有 耐心。To be a teacher, one definitely needs patience.
要 as "going to"
This use of 要 is like "going to" (similar to 会).
Structure
Again, no change to the structure here.
Subject + 要 + Verb
Examples
- 明年 要 毕业 了 。 (Notice the use of a time word for the future)I'm going to graduate next year.
- 明天 我 要 回国 。(This could also mean "need," depending on context)I'm going back to my country tomorrow.
- 星期五 我们 要 开 一 个 会。 (This could possibly mean "need"; but honestly, you rarely NEED to have a meeting, right?)Friday, we're going to have a meeting.
- 圣诞节 要 来 了。Christmas is coming soon.
- 商店 要 关门 了。The store is going to close soon.
- 我 马上 要 去 开会。I must immediately attend a meeting.
- 我 的 手机 要 没 电 了。My cell phone will run out of battery soon.
- 前 女友 告诉 我 她 要 结婚 了。My ex-girlfriend told me that she's going to get a divorce.
- 要 下雨 了，你 记得 带 一 把 伞。It's going to rain, (You) remember to bring an umbrella!
- 孩子 们 很 开心， 因为 他们 很 快 要 去 迪士尼 了。The child is very happy because we are going to go to Disneyland.
Context, context, context
You may have noticed that the meanings can easily overlap. To figure out what is intended, you need to use context. How urgent is the situation? Is it likely to be something the speaker really wants to do? Is it something that's totally going to happen, regardless of anyone's preferences? Most often, a little background knowledge and some common sense are all you need to figure it out. But you definitely need to be aware of the three possible meanings listed above.
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 154-5) →buy
