How to Say “Want To” with 要 (yào)
要 (yào) before a verb means “want to” — and often “going to”, with a sense that you've decided to act. Its gentler cousin 想 means “would like to”.
Why this trips learners up
To say you want to do something in Chinese, put 要 (yào) before the verb: 我要学中文 (“I want to study Chinese”). Simple enough. What trips learners up is that 要 carries more than a plain “want” — it leans toward “and I'm going to”. It often doubles as the near-future “going to / will” (我们要迟到了, “we're going to be late”), and it can sound a little demanding.
That's why Chinese offers a softer option: 想 (xiǎng), “would like to”. 我要喝咖啡 says you've decided — you'll get that coffee. 我想喝咖啡 is a wish you might or might not act on. They're often interchangeable, but the flavour differs: 要 is decided and a touch forceful; 想 is tentative and polite. (Watch one trap: 想 — not 要 — also means “to miss”, so 我想你 = “I miss you”.)
The structure
Colour key
Each colour marks one grammatical role — and the same colour means the same role on every page in the Lab.
Examples in context
Real-world sentences, easiest first. Toggle pinyin or the translation, tap any word to see its role, or play the audio.
Tap a word to see its grammatical role.
wǒ 我 Subject yào 要 Pattern diǎn 点 Verb yì bēi 一杯 Measure word nǎichá 奶茶 Object
I want to order a milk tea.
wǒ 我 Subject míngnián 明年 Time yào 要 Pattern qù 去 Verb Rìběn 日本 Object
I'm going to Japan next year.
nǐ 你 Subject yào 要 Pattern hē 喝 Verb shénme 什么 Object
What do you want to drink?
wǒ 我 Subject bú 不 Negation yào 要 Pattern tián de 甜的 Object
I don't want the sweet one.
zhōumò 周末 Time wǒ 我 Subject yào 要 Pattern zài 在 Verb jiā 家 Place xiūxi 休息 Verb
This weekend I'm going to rest at home.
wǒmen 我们 Subject yào 要 Pattern chídào 迟到 Verb le 了 Function word
We're going to be late.
Common mistakes
Why it happens: 想, not 要, means “to miss” someone. 我要你 lands like a blunt “I want you”; to say you miss someone it's 我想你. Keep 要 for wanting to do or have something.
Why it happens: 要 is an auxiliary verb, so it comes BEFORE the main verb: 我要去日本 (“I want to go to Japan”). Slotting it after the verb (我去要…) breaks the sentence.
Why it happens: 要 implies you've decided and will act, so pairing it with “but I haven't decided” contradicts itself. Use the tentative 想: 我想买车，但还没决定 (“I'm thinking of buying a car, but haven't decided yet”).
Compare & contrast
| 要 — “want to / going to” | 想 — “would like to” | The difference |
|---|---|---|
| 我要减肥。wǒ yào jiǎnféi. | 我想减肥。wǒ xiǎng jiǎnféi. | 要 = you've decided to do it and you'll act. 想 = a wish on your mind that you may or may not pursue. |
| 我要喝奶茶。wǒ yào hē nǎichá. | 我想喝奶茶。wǒ xiǎng hē nǎichá. | 要 the milk tea and you're ordering it. 想 the milk tea and you're just in the mood — maybe. |
Try it yourself
Say “I want to learn to drive” — tap the words into the right order.
Related patterns
Quick reference card
How to Say “Want To” with 要 (yào) grammar.merrymandarin.com A pocket summary — print it and keep it by your desk.