{{Grammar Box}} You probably already know the basic meaning of [[Wanting to do something with "yao"|要 (yào)]] as "to want." It is actually a quite versatile word, though, and can also take on the meanings of "to need" as well as "will (do something)." In every case, context is crucial for figuring out which meaning someone is trying to express. == 要 (yào) as "Want" == This structure could be used when ordering food at a restaurant or a shop. Here, it's being used for saying that you want ''something.'' === Structure ===
Subj. + 要 + Noun
=== Examples ===
* 你 要 什么？Nǐ yào shénme? What do you want? * 我 要 一 杯 水。Wǒ yào yī bēi shuǐ.I want a cup of water. * 你们 都 要 冰 可乐 吗？Nǐmen dōu yào bīng kělè ma? Do you all want coke with ice? * 你 要 茶 还是 咖啡？Nǐ yào chá háishì kāfēi? Do you want tea or coffee? * 我们 要 三 碗 米饭。Wǒmen yào sān wǎn mǐfàn.We want three bowls of rice.
== 要 (yào) as "Want to" == In Chinese, 要 (yào) can mean "want to" (similar to [[Expressing "would like to" with "xiang"|想 (xiǎng)]]), but its tone is quite firm. So it's used for saying that you want '''''to do''' something''. === Structure ===
Subj. + 要 + Verb
=== Examples ===
* 你 要 喝 什么 酒？Nǐ yào hē shénme jiǔ? What kind of wine do you want to drink? * 爸爸 要 买 一 个 新 手机。Bàba yào mǎi yī gè xīn shǒujī.Dad wants to buy a new cell phone. * 我 要 跟 你 一起 去。Wǒ yào gēn nǐ yīqǐ qù.I want to go with you. * 她 要 去 大城市 找 工作。Tā yào qù dà chéngshì zhǎo gōngzuò.She wants to go to a big city to find a job. * 周末 你们 要 一起 看 电影 吗？Zhōumò nǐmen yào yīqǐ kàn diànyǐng ma? Do you want to go see a movie together this weekend?
== 要 (yào) as "Need to" == If you crank the urgency of "to want" up a few notches, you get "to need." The two meanings overlap, creating a fuzzy, "needy" gray area. === Structure ===
Subj. + 要 + Verb
=== Examples ===
* 你 要 早 点 睡觉。Nǐ yào zǎo diǎn shuìjiào.You need to go to bed earlier. * 我们 明天 要 上班。logically, most people don't really WANT to workWǒmen míngtiān yào shàngbān.We need to work tomorrow. * 老板 今天 要 见 一个 新 客户。Lǎobǎn jīntiān yào jiàn yī gè xīn kèhù.Today the boss needs to see a new client. * 老师 太 累 了， 要 好好 休息。Lǎoshī tài lèi le, yào hǎohǎo xiūxi.The teacher is too tired. She needs to rest well. * 明天 下雨， 你 要 带 伞。Míngtiān xiàyǔ, nǐ yào dài sǎn.It's going to rain tomorrow; you need to bring an umbrella.
== 要 (yào) as "Going to" == This use of 要 (yào) is like "going to" (similar to [[Expressing "will" with "hui"|会]] (huì)). === Structure === Again, no change to the structure here, but it often includes a mention of a time ''when'' something is ''going to happen''.
Subj. + 要 + Verb
If you want to know more about the related pattern "要⋯⋯了" (yào... le), please see [[Expressing "about to happen" with "le"|the "kuai... le" pattern]]. === Examples ===
* 星期五 我们 要 开会。Xīngqīwǔ wǒmen yào kāihuì.We are going to have a meeting on Friday. * 12 点 我 要 去 吃饭。Shí'èr diǎn wǒ yào qù chīfàn.I am going to go eat at 12 o'clock. * 老板 下周 要 出差 吗？Lǎobǎn xià zhōu yào chūchāi ma?Is the boss going on a business trip next week? * 他们 明年 要 结婚 了。 Tāmen míngnián yào jiéhūn le.They are going to get married next year. * 今年 你 要 回家 过年 吗？Jīnnián nǐ yào huíjiā guònián ma?Are you going to return home this year to celebrate the Chinese New Year?
== Context, Context, Context == You may have noticed that the meanings can easily overlap. To figure out what is intended, you need to use context. How urgent is the situation? Is it likely to be something the speaker really ''wants'' to do? Is it something that's totally ''going to'' happen, regardless of anyone's preference? Most often, a little background knowledge and some common sense are all you need to figure it out. ==See also== *[["Would like to" with xiang]] *[[Expressing "will" with "hui"]] *[[About to happen with "le"]] == Sources and further reading == === Books === * [[Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed)]] (pp. 154-5) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276385/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276385 →buy] [[Category:A2 grammar points]] [[Category:Verbs]] [[Category:Auxiliary verbs]] {{Basic Grammar|要|A2|要 + Noun / 要 + Verb|我 要 一 杯 水。|grammar point|ASG95AL1}} {{Similar|About to happen with "le"}} {{Similar|Wanting to do something with yao}} {{Similar|Negative commands with "bu yao"}} {{Similar|Expressing "don't need to" with "buyong"}} {{Similar|Expressing determination with "feiyao"}} {{Similar|Expressing "will" with "hui"}} {{POS|Verbs}} {{Subprop|Auxiliary verbs}} {{Used for|Referring to the future}} {{Used for|Expressing determination}} {{Used for|Expressing desires}} {{Translation|want}} {{Translation|need}} {{Translation|go}} {{Translation|will}}