🤓 What You’ll Learn
✔️ How to use 要 (yào) to say what you will do
✔️ 想 or 要? Learn when to say “I want” vs. “I will”
✔️ Common verbs for daily actions: 回家(going home), 上班(working), 吃饭(eating), etc.
✔️ The correct way to say “not going to”
✔️ Discover 3 hidden meanings of 要
✨ Let’s Begin
Today’s focus is 要 (yào) — one of the most common and powerful words in Chinese!
Just like 想 (xiǎng), which we learned last time, 要 can also go right before a verb to express what you plan to do.
📌 要 + verb = “I’m going to do ~”
📝 Examples:
🧔🏻♂️ 我要买包。
wǒ yào mǎi bāo
→ I’m going to buy a bag.
👩🏻 我们要吃蛋糕。
wǒmen yào chī dàngāo
→ We are going to eat cake.
👨🏻 我要喝茶。
wǒ yào hē chá
→ I’m going to drink tea.
We’ll compare it with 想 so you’ll understand:
- What’s the difference between 想 and 要?
- How do we make negative sentences correctly?
(Spoiler: ❌ 不要 ≠ I’m not going to!)
We’ll also touch on other meanings like:
💡 要 as “must / have to”
🙅 不要 (don’t) for commands
💬 要 as a regular verb meaning “to want”
First, let’s practice using 要 (yào) with some everyday verbs.
You’ll see how easy and useful it is to say what you’re about to do — just like a native speaker! 😊
💬How It’s Used
👩🏻 我要回家。
wǒ yào huíjiā
→ I’m going home.
👨🏻 我要上班。
wǒ yào shàngbān
→ I’m going to work.
🧔🏻♂️ 我要下班。
wǒ yào xiàbān
→ I’m getting off work.
👩🏻 我要吃饭。
wǒ yào chīfàn
→ I’m having a meal.
👨🏻 我要洗澡。
wǒ yào xǐzǎo
→ I’m going to take a shower.
🧔🏻♂️ 我要睡觉。
wǒ yào shuìjiào
→ I’m going to sleep.
📝Vocabulary List
要 (yào) — going to / about to (expressing intent)
包 (bāo) — bag
蛋糕 (dàngāo) — cake
茶 (chá) — tea
回家 (huíjiā) to go home
上班 (shàngbān) to go to work
下班 (xiàbān) to get off work
吃饭 (chīfàn) to eat (have a meal)
洗澡 (xǐzǎo) to take a shower
睡觉 (shuìjiào) to sleep
🎯Pro Tip
想 vs 要 — What’s the difference?
- 想 (xiǎng)
means “want to”
a soft, personal wish.
👉 what’s in your mind.
- 要 (yào)
means “going to”
a decision or strong intent.
👉 what you’re about to do.
📝 Examples:
👧🏻 我想买这个。
wǒ xiǎng mǎi zhè ge
→ I want to buy this.
(Soft wish) — I’m thinking about it. I’m interested
👨🏻 我要买那个。
→ I’m going to buy that.
→ I’m going to buy that.
(Clear decision) — I’ve made up my mind. I’ve chosen that one and I’ll buy it.
👧🏻 我想去北京。
wǒ xiǎng qù běijīng
→ I want to go to Beijing.
(Wish) — I’m thinking of going to Beijing someday. It’s something I’d like to do.
👨🏻 我要去图书馆。
wǒ yào qù túshūguǎn
→ I’m going to the library.
(Plan) — I’m on my way there / I’ve already decided to go soon.
👧🏻 我想吃冰淇淋。
wǒ xiǎng chī bīngqílín
→ I want to eat ice cream.
(Desire) — I feel like having ice cream. I’m craving it.
🧔🏻♂️ 我要吃药。
wǒ yào chī yào
→ I’m going to take medicine.
(Necessity / decision) — I need to take it now (maybe because I’m sick or it’s time).
📝Vocabulary List
这个 (zhè ge) – this (often pronounced zhèi ge)
那个 (nà ge) – that (often pronounced nèi ge)
去 (qù) – to go
北京 (Běijīng) – Beijing (capital of China)
图书馆 (túshūguǎn) – library
冰淇淋 (bīngqílín) – ice cream
药 (yào) – medicine
🚀Level Up
❌ How to say “not going to”?
Just remove 要, and use a plain sentence with 不.
That’s the most natural and direct way to say it!
For example: let’s turn this into a negative sentence
🏠我要回家。
wǒ yào huíjiā
→ “I’m going home.”
✅ 我不回家。
wǒ bù huíjiā
→ “I’m not going home.” (simple and clear)
✅ 我不想回家。
wǒ bù xiǎng huíjiā
→ “I don’t want to go home.”
❌ 我不要回家。
wǒ bú yào huíjiā
→ 🚫 This sentence is not natural in Chinese. It doesn’t make sense in context
❌ Don’t say: 我不要回家
🧠 Quick Tip:
“不要” is mostly used to tell others what NOT to do.
For example:
👉 不要走！(Don’t leave!)
👉 不要说话！(Don’t talk!)
❓ Quiz: Make Negative Sentences
Change these into “I’m not going to/ I don’t want to…”
- 🍚 我要吃饭。wǒ yào chīfàn
→ ___________________
2. 📚 我去图书馆。wǒ qù túshūguǎn
→ ___________________
3. 💤 我要睡觉。wǒ yào shuìjiào
→ ___________________
✅ Answers
1. 🍚
我不吃饭。
wǒ bù chīfàn
→ I’m not eating / I won’t eat.
我不想吃饭。
wǒ bù xiǎng chīfàn
→ I don’t want to eat.
2. 📚
我不去图书馆。
wǒ bú qù túshūguǎn
→ I’m not going to the library.
我不想去图书馆。
wǒ bù xiǎng qù túshūguǎn
→ I don’t want to go to the library.
3. 💤
我不睡觉。
wǒ bú shuìjiào
→ I’m not going to sleep.
我不想睡觉。
wǒ bù xiǎng shuìjiào
→ I don’t want to sleep.
🎯Pro Tip
💡 Optional for Now!
This part explains extra meanings of “要 (yào).”
If it feels a bit tricky, you can skip it for now and come back later.
You’ll understand it more naturally as you hear and use more Chinese in daily life! 😉
Just knowing how to say “I’m going to…” is already amazing at your level! 🎉
The Many Uses of 要 (yào) in Chinese
1️⃣ 要 + verb = I’m going to / I have to
2️⃣ 不要 + verb = Don’t! (🚫command)
3️⃣ 要 + noun = I want this / that / a drink etc.
1️⃣ When 要 is an auxiliary verb
→ 要 + verb
① To say “I’m going to”
📝 Use it to express what you’re about to do.
Examples:
- 我要睡觉。
wǒ yào shuìjiào
→ I’m going to sleep. - 我要学习。
wǒ yào xuéxí
→ I’m going to study.
② To say “I have to”
(= similar to 得 “děi”)
📝 Use it to express something necessary or required.
Examples:
- 我要上班。
wǒ yào shàngbān
→ I have to go to work. - 你要吃药。
nǐ yào chī yào
→ You have to take medicine.
2️⃣ To say “Don’t …!”
→ 不要 + verb
📝 Use 不要 (bú yào) + verb = Command / warning
🛑 Be careful! In this context, 不要 means “Don’t!” — not “I don’t want to!”
Examples:
- 不要喝咖啡。
bú yào hē kāfēi
→ Don’t drink coffee. - 不要看手机。
bú yào kàn shǒujī
→ Don’t look at your phone.
3️⃣ When 要 is a main verb
→ subject + 要 + noun
📝 Use it to express wanting something.
Examples:
- 我要这个。
wǒ yào zhège
→ I want this. - 我不要那个。
wǒ bú yào nàge
→ I don’t want that. - 我不要香菜。
wǒ bú yào xiāngcài
→ I don’t want cilantro.
💡 When 要 is a main verb, 不要 means “don’t want” — and that’s totally fine!😉
As you continue practicing, you’ll naturally feel the difference between them.
For now, just remember these simple patterns and keep repeating out loud! 💪🗣️
🎓Lesson Summary
Today, you learned how to use the super useful word 要 (yào) in real sentences!
It helps you express what you’re going to do — with just one simple pattern, you can sound natural and confident in daily conversations. 🎯
🧾 Key sentence pattern
[ Subject + 要 + Verb (+ Object) ]
→ “I’m going to…
You also learned how to:
❌ Make negative sentences with 不 or 不想
🧠 Understand the difference between 想 and 要
📌 Use 要 to say “I have to…” (expressing necessity)
⚠️ Use 不要 for giving commands
💬 Use 要 as a verb meaning “to want”
Don’t worry if it feels like a lot — you’re building a solid foundation step by step! Practice a little every day, and it’ll all start to click! 💡
See you in the next lesson!
你要继续学习哦！💪 加油！
