Wanting to do something with "yao"
Revision as of 08:07, 15 November 2011 by Jonathan.pope (talk | contribs)
In Chinese, 要 (yào), the verb "to want" doesn't quite function like the English. It means "want to" (like 想), but it's tone is very firm, such it can sound more like "going to" (like 会), an intention. It's specific meaning often depends on context.
Some examples:
- 我 要 吃饭。 (I want to eat, more of a desire)
- 我 明天 要 走 了。 (I'm going to leave tomorrow, more of an intention)
- 他 要 学习 中文。
- 她 要 去 酒吧。
Note that if the speaker wishes to say "I'd like to", 想 can be used instead of 要. Mixing up 想 and 要 is a big problem for learners of Chinese.
