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.

Basic 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.

想 + Verb (+ Object) + 就 + Verb (+ Object )

Examples

• 你想来就来。If you want to come, come.
• 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.
• 想唱就 大声 唱，不 要 总是 小声 哼哼。If you want to sing, sing loudly, don't just hum softly.

Structure with a question word

You can also add in a question word, like 什么, 哪儿, or 怎么. When this is the case, the pronouns don't necessarily refer to any specific thing. They can be seen more as words like "whatever" or "wherever". This way, question pronouns (什么,谁,什么时候,etc) serve as "indefinite references".

想 + Verb + question word + 就 + Verb + question word

Examples

• 想去哪儿就去哪。Wherever you want to go, go there.
• 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
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (p. 272) →buy
• 卓越汉语－公司实战篇 (pp. 59, 104-5) →buy (Indefinite References)
• 40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课下册） (p. 414)→buy (Indefinite References)

Dictionaries

• 现代汉语词典（第5版） (p. 145) →buy