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A2 · Grammar reference · ASGD88UO

Comparing "yao" and "xiang"

Both 要 (yào) and 想 (xiǎng) can essentially mean "want," but they can also be used in quite different ways, such as 想 (xiǎng) also meaning "to miss" when followed by a noun, and 要 (yào) also meaning "going to (do something)."

Structure

Subj. + 要 + Noun

Subj. + 想 + Noun

Subj. + 要 + Verb

Subj. + 想 + Verb

Subj. + 想要 + Noun / Verb

Keywords
要 · 想 · want · need · go · will
Used for
Referring to the future · Expressing determination · Expressing desires
Classification
HSK2

Examples (30)

你也要茶吗?

我们都要咖啡。

大家要不要米饭?

你们要冰水还是热水?

谢谢,我什么都不要。

我想你。

我有点想我的家人。

你们回美国以后,会想中国菜吗?

你女朋友不在的时候,你会想她吗?

妈妈打电话的时候跟我说,她很想我。

我要休息。

你也要回家吗?

你们要喝什么?

我要帮老板做完这些工作。

大家晚上要不要出去吃?

我不想见她。

周末你们想看电影吗?

我想请你吃饭。

他们春节不想回家吗?

星期六我要去北京。

下个月她要找新工作。

这个周末你们要出去玩吗?

结婚以后,你要跟父母住在一起吗?

生完孩子以后,你太太要回去工作吗?

你想要几个孩子?

我老婆总是想要最贵的包。

她想要找一个有钱的男朋友。

你们为什么想要离开北京?

他想要帮你找一个更好的工作。

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Full explanation at AllSet Learning

Summary, structure, classification, and adapted sentence examples draw from the AllSet Learning Chinese Grammar Wiki under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0; changes were made. This noncommercial reference is based on an October 2023 snapshot.

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