Comparing "yao" and "xiang"

Nível: HSK 2 | Categoria: Gramática

            Fórmula Sintática: Subj. + 要 / 想 / 想要 + Noun :: （Comparing "要" and "想"）
          

Explicação da Regra:

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

Exemplos com Falantes Nativos:

你也要茶吗？ (nǐ yě yào chá ma ？): "Do you want tea too?"
我们都要咖啡。 (wǒmen dū yào kāfēi 。): "We all want coffee."
大家要不要米饭？ (dàjiā yào bù yào mǐfàn ？): "Do you want rice?"
你们要冰水还是热水？ (nǐmen yào bīngshǔi huánshì rèshǔi ？): "Do you want ice water or hot water?"

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