Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 要 | yào | /jɑʊ̯⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /iɔː⁴⁴/ (Mandarin, Dungan, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 想 | xiǎng | /ɕi̯ɑŋ²¹⁴/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /ɕiaŋ⁵³/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 想要 | xiǎngyào | /ɕi̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ jɑʊ̯⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /sœːŋ³⁵ jiːu̯³³/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
|
| 願意 / 愿意 | yuànyi | ||
| 需要 | xūyào | /ɕy⁵⁵ jɑʊ̯⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /sɵy̯⁵⁵ jiːu̯³³/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
|
| 欲 | beh | /iɔk̚⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Xiamen) /iɔk̚²⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Quanzhou) |
Hokkien |
| 愛 / 爱 | ài | Hokkien | |
| 想欲 | siūⁿ-beh | /siũ²²⁻²¹ beʔ³²/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) /siũ³³⁻¹¹ beʔ³²/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Sinological IPA, Taipei, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien |
The term for 'want' varies significantly based on whether you are expressing a direct desire, a necessity or a soft wish. In standard Chinese, you might use 要 for a direct want or plan, while 想要 is a softer, more polite way to express a desire. If you are expressing a requirement, use 需要 for 'to need'. Additionally, 想 can mean 'to want' in a soft sense, but it also carries the meanings 'to think' and 'to miss' someone or something.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ in how direct or soft they sound: 要 can mean both 'to want' and 'will/is going to' depending on the context, whereas 想 expresses a desire more softly. The compound 想要 is a common way to say 'want' that sounds slightly more polite or softer than the blunt 要. In contrast, use 需要 when you are expressing a necessity or requirement rather than a mere desire.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Dungan, you can use ё or щён. In Hokkien, the forms 欲, 愛 / 爱 and 想欲 are used to express desire, with 想欲 being a common way to express the desire to do something.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Hokkien, the combination 想欲 is used to express the desire to do something.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is yào, pronounced /jɑʊ̯⁵⁵/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers sometimes use 要 to mean 'want' in a way that sounds overly demanding or blunt. It is often more natural to use 想要 for polite requests.
Did you know?
- The word 欲 is a linguistic relative of the Burmese word လို 'lui', which also means 'to want' or 'to desire'.
- In the Hokkien dialect, the word for 'want' is 愛, which is the same character used for 'love' in standard Chinese.
Examples in context
- 我想要出国。I want to go abroad.This sentence is useful for expressing the desire to go abroad using 要.Tatoeba #394187 by GlossaMatik, translation #21938 by CK
- 我想要点钱。I want some money.This sentence is useful for expressing the desire for money using 要.Tatoeba #407456 by GlossaMatik, translation #33542 by CK
- 你想吃什么？What do you want to eat?This sentence is useful for asking about a desire to eat using 想.Tatoeba #419672 by GlossaMatik, translation #372015 by saeb
- 我想要一杯咖啡。I want a cup of coffee.
- 我希望能去中国旅游。I hope to travel to China.
- 我想看电影。I want to watch a movie.
- 我要一份披萨。I want a pizza.
- 我很想去旅游。I really want to travel.
- 我要嘢飲I want something to drink.
- 1568 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a cafe, choosing a drink.
- 浩然 Haoran你想要喝什么？Nǐ xiǎng yào hē shénme?What do you want to drink?
- 梓涵 Zihan我不要咖啡，我要茶。Wǒ bù yào kāfēi, wǒ yào chá.I don't want coffee, I want tea.
- 浩然 Haoran你要热的还是冰的？Nǐ yào rè de háishì bīng de?Do you want it hot or iced?
- 梓涵 Zihan我要热的。Wǒ yào rè de.I want it hot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “want” translations and entries 要, 想, 想要, 需要, 欲, 想欲, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 愛, 欲, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
