Xmas Offer Get 50% OFF
Chinese Grammar Bank
HOW TO USE 想 AND 要
想 (xiǎng) and 要 (yào) can both mean “want”. However, they each have other meanings attached to them.
- 想 can mean “to miss” when followed by a noun.
- 要 can mean “going to (do something)” or “want to”.
想 AND 要 FOLLOWED BY A NOUN
Both 想 (xiǎng) and 要 (yào) can be followed by a noun but mean different things. Let’s have a look at them separately:
要 with a noun
要 (yào) followed by a noun is normally used for commands like when you want to buy something or to order food.
PATTERN
Subject + 要 + Noun
Your tone when using this structure is very important because it can come off as impolite.
For visual learners, imagine a child having an outburst saying, “我要妈妈! 我要妈妈!” (wǒ yào mā ma! wǒ yào mā ma!) (I want my mother! I want my mother!).
This child’s tone is usually demanding and somewhat impolite.
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 我要茶。wǒ yào chá. | wǒ yào chá. | I want tea. (ordering at a restaurant) |
| 你们要不要米饭？ | nǐmen yào bu yào mǐfàn? | Do you want rice? |
| 谢谢，我什么都不要。 | xièxiè, wǒ shénme dōu bú yào. | Thank you, I don’t want/need anything. |
想 with a noun
想 (xiǎng) followed by a noun is normally used for expressing the fact of missing something, or someone.
In the structure: Subject + 想 + Noun
想 means “to miss”
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 我想你。 | wǒ xiǎng nǐ. | I miss you. |
| 我女朋友回国了，我很想她。 | wǒ nǚ péngyou huí guó le, wǒ hěn xiǎng tā. | My girlfriend returned home. I miss her very much. |
| 你回美国以后，会想中国菜吗? | nǐ huí měiguó yǐhòu, huì xiǎng zhōngguó cài ma? | Will you miss Chinese food after you go back to the USA? |
想 AND 要 FOLLOWED BY A VERB
When followed by a verb, 想 and 要 have similar meanings.
However, 要 shows more urgency and is at times more demanding while 想 is a bit more polite.
In this structure, think of 要 as “want to” and 想 as “would like to”.
要 as “want to”
PATTERN
Subject + 要 + Verb
Like the previous structure of 要 (yào), one’s tone is very important.
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 我要休息。 | wǒ yào xiūxi. | I want to rest. |
| 我要喝咖啡。 | wǒ yào hē kāfēi. | I want to drink coffee. |
| 你们要不要出去吃? | nǐmen yào bu yào chūqù chī? | Do you want to go out to eat? |
想 as “would like to”
PATTERN
Subject + 想 + Verb
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 你想去吗? | nǐ xiǎng qù ma? | Would you like to go? |
| 我想跟他看电影。 | wǒ xiǎng gēn tā kàn diànyǐng. | I would like to watch a movie with him. |
| 他不想回家吗？ | tā bùxiǎng huí jiā ma? | Doesn’t he want to go home? |
EXPRESSING “GOING TO” WITH 要
Here, 要 (yào) is used to indicate plans for the near future.
想 (xiǎng) can’t be used in this way.
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 星期六，我要去北京。 | xīngqīliù, wǒ yào qù běijīng. | I have to go to Beijing on Saturday. |
| 毕业以后，你要跟父母住在一起吗？ | bìyè yǐhòu, nǐ yào gēn fùmǔ zhù zài yīqǐ ma? | Are you going to live together with your parents after graduation? |
| 下个月，她要找新工作。 | xià gè yuè, tā yào zhǎo xīn gōngzuò. | She is going to look for a new job next month. |
EXPRESSING “TO WANT” WITH 想要
When the two characters are combined, they mean “to want”.
Nouns or verbs can be used after 想要.
PATTERN
Subject + 想要 + Noun/Verb
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 你想要什么礼物? | nǐ xiǎng yào shénme lǐwù? | What gift do you want? |
| 她想要找一个有钱的男朋友. | tā xiǎng yào zhǎo yīgè yǒu qián de nán péngyou. | She wants to find a rich boyfriend. |
| 他想要帮你找一个更好的工作. | tā xiǎng yào bāng nǐ zhǎo yīgè gèng hǎo de gōngzuò. | He wants to help you find a better job. |
Learn Mandarin with Flexi Classes
Book online classes with the best teachers in the industry.
FAQs
What is the difference between 想 and 要?
Followed by a noun:
要 (yào) followed by a noun is normally used for commands like when you want to buy something or to order food.
想 (xiǎng) followed by a noun is normally used for expressing the fact of missing something, or someone.
Followed by a verb:
When followed by a verb, 想 and 要 have similar meanings.
However, 要 shows more urgency and is at times more demanding while 想 is a bit more polite.
In this case, think of 要 as “want to” and 想 as “would like to”.
How to use 想?
想 (xiǎng) with a noun:
Subject + 想 + Noun
Examples:
我想你。 wǒ xiǎng nǐ. I miss you.
我女朋友回国了，我很想她。 wǒ nǚ péngyou huí guó le, wǒ hěn xiǎng tā. My girlfriend returned home. I miss her very much.
想 (xiǎng) with a verb:
We can think of the translation “would like to”
Subject + 想 (xiǎng) + Verb
Examples:
你想去吗? nǐ xiǎng qù ma? Would you like to go?
我想跟他看电影。 wǒ xiǎng gēn tā kàn diànyǐng. I would like to watch a movie with him.
How to use 要?
要 (yào) with a noun:
Subject + 要 (yào) + Noun
Your tone when using this structure is very important because it can come off as impolite.
Examples:
我要茶。wǒ yào chá. wǒ yào chá. I want tea. (ordering at a restaurant)
你们要不要米饭？ nǐmen yào bu yào mǐfàn? Do you want rice?
要 (yào) with a verb:
We can translate by “want to”
Subject + 要 (yào) + Verb.
Examples:
我要休息。 wǒ yào xiūxi. I want to rest.
我要喝咖啡。 wǒ yào hē kāfēi. I want to drink coffee.
What is the difference between 不 and 没?
The main difference between 不 and 没 is that 不 is used for present and future sentences.
没 is solely used for sentences written in the past tense.
Both characters have many uses, check out our full article for more explanation and sentence examples.
Where can I learn more Chinese grammar?
That’s easy!
First, visit our Chinese Grammar Bank for many other grammar lessons.
Then, let us know if you’d fancy some Chinese lessons with a professional teacher.
We offer various Chinese language program suitable for any type of schedule.
Do you offer online Chinese classes?
Yes, absolutely.
We have been teaching Chinese since 2007, and our online programs are as efficient as offline programs.
Check out our Flexi Classes, where you can study Chinese 24/7 by choosing your study time and study topic.
Or our fixed classes, where the program is the same for everyone, with a fixed schedule. This fixed program is available in group and individual classes.
Let us know if you’d like more details about any program, we’d love to hear about your study project.