English–Chinese

“want” in Chinese

Chinese

Also要不要 (yào bù yào)

Pronunciation

Pinyinyào

Example

我要一杯水。wǒ yào yì bēi shuǐ

I want a glass of water.

Illustration for 要 (want)

How to say “want” in Chinese

“Want” in Chinese is 要 (yào).

A strong wish or need that points toward a thing or an action.

Full entry for 要: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with 要

你要吃什么？nǐ yào chī shén me

What do you want to eat?

Tips for using 要

  • Before a thing, this word can show a wish or a need; before an action, it can show a wish, a need, or a plan.

Other Chinese words for “want”

要不要这个？yào bú yào zhè ge

Do you want this?

“want” in other languages