Sentence pattern · Band 1
想 and 要: wanting to, planning to
主语 + 想/要 + 动词
Both words mean want, with different pressure. 想 is a wish: it would be nice to see that movie, to eat noodles tonight. 要 is a decision: I am getting dumplings, this is happening. A daydream takes 想 and a shopping list takes 要. Either way the next word is a verb; for grabbing a thing now, say 要 plus a verb like 喝.
Hear it in a sentence
Mistakes people make
想 dreams of doing something; for a thing you want right now, say 要 and bring a verb along.
想 and 要 do the same job; stacking both helpers is like saying I want to want to eat.
Words in this pattern
Quick answers
What does 想、要 mean?
Both words mean want, with different pressure. 想 is a wish: it would be nice to see that movie, to eat noodles tonight. 要 is a decision: I am getting dumplings, this is happening. A daydream takes 想 and a shopping list takes 要. Either way the next word is a verb; for grabbing a thing now, say 要 plus a verb like 喝.
How do you build it?
主语 + 想/要 + 动词
What is the most common mistake?
我想茶。 → 我要喝茶。
想 dreams of doing something; for a thing you want right now, say 要 and bring a verb along.
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