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)."

Followed by a Noun

Both 要 (yào) and 想 (xiǎng) may be followed by nouns, but pay attention to how the meaning of 想 (xiǎng) totally changes when used this way.

要 (yào) as "to Want"

Structure

In this pattern, 要 (yào) is directly followed by a thing (a noun), rather than by a verb. It is often used to buy something, or to order food at a restaurant.

It may be helpful to imagine a demanding child using this pattern to get stuff from his parents. This "I want x!" pattern can seem slightly impolite, but to the Chinese ear it's not as inherently rude as it may seem when translated directly into English. Tone of voice plays a key role when using this pattern in spoken Chinese.

Examples

你也要茶吗？ordering in a restaurantNǐ yě yào chá ma? Do you also want tea?
我们都要咖啡。ordering in a cafeWǒmen dōu yào kāfēi.We all want coffee.
大家要不要米饭？ordering in a restaurantDàjiā yào bù yào mǐfàn? Does everyone want rice?
你们要冰水还是热水？ordering in a restaurantNǐmen yào bīng shuǐ háishì rè shuǐ? Do you want ice water or hot water?
谢谢，我什么都不要。ordering in a restaurantXièxiè, wǒ shénme dōu bù yào.Thank you. I don't need anything.

想 (xiǎng) as "to Miss"

Pay attention here: unlike "想 (xiǎng) + Verb," the meaning of 想 (xiǎng) in the "想 (xiǎng) + Noun" pattern becomes "to miss."

Structure

Examples

我想你。Wǒ xiǎng nǐ.I miss you.
我有点想我的家人。Wǒ yǒudiǎn xiǎng wǒ de jiārén.I sort of miss my family.
你们回美国以后，会想中国菜吗？Nǐmen huí Měiguó yǐhòu, huì xiǎng Zhōngguó cài ma? Will you all miss Chinese food after you go back to the U.S.?
你女朋友不在的时候，你会想她吗？Nǐ nǚpéngyou bù zài de shíhou, nǐ huì xiǎng tā ma? Do you miss your girlfriend when she is not around?
妈妈打电话的时候跟我说，她很想我。Māma dǎ diànhuà de shíhou gēn wǒ shuō, tā hěn xiǎng wǒ.Mom called me and said she misses me a lot.

Followed by a Verb

要 (yào) and 想 (xiǎng) have similar meanings when followed by verbs. The difference is rather subtle, but 要 (yào) can sound more urgent or demanding (sometimes even childish), while 想 (xiǎng) is usually a bit more mature and polite. Tone of voice plays a big role here as well, though, so don't be afraid of offending people by using 要 (yào); the word itself isn't rude.

要 (yào) as "Want to"

Structure

It might help to think of 要 (yào) in this sense as meaning "want to" and 想 (xiǎng) as meaning "would like to."

Examples

我要休息。Wǒ yào xiūxi.I want to rest.
你也要回家吗？Nǐ yě yào huíjiā ma? Do you also want to go home?
你们要喝什么？Nǐmen yào hē shénme? What do you want to drink?
我要帮老板做完这些工作。Wǒ yào bāng lǎobǎn zuò wán zhèxiē gōngzuò.I want to help the boss finish this work.
大家晚上要不要出去吃？Dàjiā wǎnshang yào bu yào chūqù chī? Does everyone want to go out to eat tonight?

想 (xiǎng) as "Would Like to"

Structure

It might help to think of 想 (xiǎng) as meaning "would like to" instead of "want to." In English, as well, "would like to" feels more indirect, and thus less demanding and more more polite.

Examples

你想去吗？Nǐ xiǎng qù ma? Would you like to go?
我不想见她。Wǒ bù xiǎng jiàn tā.I wouldn't like to see her.
周末你们想看电影吗？Zhōumò nǐmen xiǎng kàn diànyǐng ma? Would you like to see a movie this weekend?
我想请你吃饭。Wǒ xiǎng qǐng nǐ chīfàn.I'd like to treat you to dinner.
他们春节不想回家吗？Tāmen Chūnjié bù xiǎng huíjiā ma? Don't they want to go back home for Spring Festival?

要 (yào) as "Going to"

要 is used to indicate plans for the near future, much like "going to" in English. 想 (xiǎng) is not used in this way.

Structure

Examples

星期六我要去北京。Xīngqīliù wǒ yào qù Běijīng.I'm going to Beijing on Saturday.
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.
这个周末你们要出去玩吗？Zhège zhōumò nǐmen yào chūqù wán ma? Are you going out partying this weekend?
结婚以后，你要跟父母住在一起吗？Jiéhūn yǐhòu, nǐ yào gēn nǐ fùmǔ zhù zài yīqǐ ma? Are you going to live together with your parents after you get married?
生完孩子以后，你太太要回去工作吗？Shēng wán háizi yǐhòu, nǐ tàitai yào huíqù gōngzuò ma? Is your wife going back to work after she finishes giving birth to the baby?

想要 (xiǎngyào) as "Want"

Structure

You can put 要 (yào) and 想 (xiǎng) together to make the word 想要 (xiǎngyào), which means "to want." You can put either nouns or verbs after it.

Examples

你想要几个孩子？Nǐ xiǎngyào jǐ gè háizi? How many kids do you want to have?
我老婆总是想要最贵的包。Wǒ lǎopo zǒngshì xiǎngyào zuì guì de bāo.My wife always wants the most expensive bags.
她想要找一个有钱的男朋友。Tā xiǎngyào zhǎo yī gè yǒuqián de nánpéngyou.She wants to find a rich boyfriend.
你们为什么想要离开北京？Nǐmen wèishénme xiǎngyào líkāi Běijīng? Why do you all want to leave Beijing?
他想要帮你找一个更好的工作。Tā xiǎngyào bāng nǐ zhǎo yī gè gèng hǎo de gōngzuò.He wants to help you find a better job.

Followed by a Noun

要 (yào) as "to Want"

Structure

Examples

想 (xiǎng) as "to Miss"

Structure

Examples

Followed by a Verb

要 (yào) as "Want to"

Structure

Examples

想 (xiǎng) as "Would Like to"

Structure

Examples

要 (yào) as "Going to"

Structure

Examples

想要 (xiǎngyào) as "Want"

Structure

Examples

See also

Sources and further reading

Books