What does 要 mean?
In Chinese, 要 ♬ is a very common word. It can mean “want,” “need,” or “going to,” depending on the sentence.
| Use | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 要 + noun | want something |
| 要 + verb | want to / need to / going to do something |
1. 要 + noun: want something
Use 要 ♬ before a noun when you want something. This is common when ordering food or buying things.
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
| 我要咖啡。 ♬ | I want coffee. |
| 你要水嗎？ ♬ | Do you want water? |
我要... is direct and useful, but in some situations it can sound stronger than 我想要....
2. 要 + verb: want to or need to
Use 要 ♬ before a verb to say that someone wants or needs to do something. The exact meaning depends on context.
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
| 我要去公司。 ♬ | I want to / need to go to the company. |
| 他要學中文。 ♬ | He wants to study Chinese. |
In real conversation, the situation often tells you whether 要 means “want to” or “need to.”
3. 要 for near future
要 ♬ can also mean that something is going to happen soon, especially with time words like 今天 ♬ or 明天 ♬.
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
| 我今天要回家。 ♬ | I am going home today. |
| 明天要下雨。 ♬ | It is going to rain tomorrow. |
This use of 要 often shows that something is about to happen or already planned.
4. 不要: don’t want / don’t
The negative form is 不要 ♬. It can mean “do not want” or “don’t do something.”
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
| 我不要咖啡。 ♬ | I don’t want coffee. |
| 不要走。 ♬ | Don’t leave. |
不要 + verb is a simple way to tell someone not to do something.
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