Expressing "be going to" with "yao"

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. Because of the time indication, the following examples show that the subject wants and plans to do the action stated.

Subject + 要 + Verb

Examples

我今年要学中文。 Wǒ jīnnián yào xué Zhōngwén.I am planning to learn Chinese this year.
我下个月要去中国工作。 Wǒ xià gè yuè yào qù Zhōngguó gōngzuò.I am going to China to work next month.
星期天我要去北京。 Xīngqītiān wǒ yào qù Běijīng. I am going to Beijing on Sunday.
我等会儿要给妈妈打电话。 Wǒ děnghuǐr yào gěi māma dǎ diànhuà. I am going to call my mom in a little bit.
不好意思，我要出去一下。 Bùhǎoyìsi, wǒ yào chūqù yī xià.Pardon me, I am going out real quick.
我明天要买一个 iPhone 。 Wǒ míngtiān yào mǎi yī gè iPhone.I am going to buy an iPhone tomorrow.
下班以后你要去哪里？ Xiàbān yǐhòu nǐ yào qù nǎlǐ? Where are you planning to go after work?
我下午要去你家。 Wǒ xiàwǔyào qù nǐjiā. I am going to your place this afternoon. Do you want to go?
你明天要回美国吗？ nǐ míngtiānyàohuí měiguó ma? Are you going back to the U.S. tomorrow?

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.

我要去吃饭 ,你去吗？ Wǒ yào qù chīfàn, nǐ qù ma? I am going to go eat. Do you want to go?
我要做咖啡，你喝吗？ Wǒ yào zùo kāfēi, nǐ hē ma? I am going to make coffee, do you want to drink some?
我要去，你去吗？ Wǒ yào qù chīfàn, nǐ qù ma? I am going to go eat. Do you want to go?
我要做咖啡，你喝吗？ Wǒ yào zùo kāfēi, nǐ hē ma? I am going to make coffee, do you want to drink some?
我要去吃饭，你去吗？ Wǒ yào qù chīfàn, nǐ qù ma? I am going to go eat. Do you want to go?
我要做咖啡，你喝吗？ Wǒ yào zùo kāfēi, nǐ hē ma? I am going to make coffee, do you want to drink some?

Sources and further reading

Books

现代汉语八百词（增订本） (p. ) →buy

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