Languages 1001 - {title}

Let's talk about what you want! Wait, that sounded deep. We’re talking about modal verbs, specifically 想 (xiǎng) and 要 (yào), the words Chinese people use every day for "want," "would like," or "going to". Imagine these two friends:
Lili (张莉莉) is thinking about dinner and says:
我想吃饺子。 (wǒ xiǎng chī jiǎozi) — "I want to eat dumplings." (Here, 想 means "would like to" or "want to" in a soft, polite way.) Meanwhile, Boss Jianguo (王建国) is more decisive. He says:
我要喝咖啡！ (wǒ yào hē kāfēi) — "I want coffee!" or even "I’m going to have coffee!" (要 is firmer; sometimes it means you’re about to do something.)

想 (xiǎng): Soft, polite "want to" or "would like to". Use it when you’re feeling respectful or unsure.
我想学中文。(I want to study Chinese.)
要 (yào): Stronger, can mean "want", "will", or "going to". Use it when you really mean it.
他要去书店。(He wants/is going to go to the bookstore.)

How to use 想 and 要? It’s easy! Just: Subject + 想/要 + Verb + Other stuff
Examples:

浩然想睡觉。(Haoran wants to sleep.)
晓彤要买一本书。(Xiaotong wants/is going to buy a book.)

Tip: At restaurants, use 想 if you want to be polite to the waiter. Use 要 if you’re really, really hungry!
(Or just do Lili’s trick: both at once — 谁能拦住一个饿的人？)

莉莉 (xiǎng) 吃饺子。

建国 (yào) 喝茶。

浩然 (xiǎng) 去朋友家。

晓彤 (yào) 买新衣服。

秀兰 (xiǎng) 看电视。

志强 (yào) 上班。

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Bonus Challenge:
Which would you use here?

你 ______ 学中文吗？
A) 想 B) 要
(answer: 想)

You’ve mastered “wanting” in Chinese! Next step: convincing your friends to go for dumplings with you… using 想 and 要, of course.

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