<p>想要 means &quot;want&quot; regardless of whether or not you need.)</p>
<p>需要 means &quot;need&quot;.)</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Like you want to have a car on your own but you will never leave your
room</p>
</blockquote>
<p>你想要車，但你不需要車。(You want car, but you don't need it.) (Want and not need.)</p>
<p>我想要去廁所。(I want to go to toilet.) (Want and need.)</p>
<p>So use 需要 to describe when you really need.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-18T13:52:52.357Z
Can I use `要` to emphasize what I `will` do in the future, for in the future only? Not about want or want to. e.g. If I can go to Japan, I will visit my grandmother.
O Connor
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-19T11:27:28.693Z
It can be used to denote something gonna happened. According to dictionary owned by Ministry of Education in Taiwan, [要](http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&searchid=W00000010874) can mean 即將.
000
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-15T01:04:29.157Z
2020-08-15T01:04:29.157Z
000
<p>想要 + n: want to get/own something</p>
<p>想要 + verb: want to do</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-18T13:41:03.347Z
If I remove `要` and have only `想 + n` and `想 + verb`, will they emphasize the same meaning as your answer above?
O Connor
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-19T10:30:30.290Z
@OConnor, latter one, yes; former one, no.  `想 + n` means 'miss/longing' or 'think about'
nichijou
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-25T07:34:18.133Z
How about `要 + noun` and `要 + verb`?
O Connor
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-25T19:31:58.157Z
Depending on context, the meaning may vary, I can only give the most common ones here. `要 + noun` in '他向母亲要十块钱' means 'ask for'; `要 + verb` in '你要好好学习' means ‘should', in '我要迟到了' means ‘will’.
nichijou
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-14T15:12:49.430Z
2020-08-14T15:12:49.430Z
nichijou
<p>想要 can express 想得到/想有/需要. Whether you really need it or not.</p>
<p>e.g.</p>
<p>我想要吃東西 could represent &quot;I'm hungry&quot; or &quot;I want to eat something even I'm not hungry&quot;.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-14T15:29:40.697Z
2020-08-14T15:29:40.697Z
HungYu Chang
<p>想要 ≈ 想 - want/would like (to)</p>
<p>我想要吃东西 ≈ 我想吃东西</p>
<p>要 on its own is usually &quot;want&quot;, not &quot;need&quot;, but a bit stronger than 想/想要. However, 要 can also mean &quot;will&quot;. 我要吃东西 could mean either &quot;I want to eat&quot; or &quot;I will eat&quot;, depending on context. It would never mean &quot;I need to eat&quot;.</p>
<p>需要 is always &quot;need&quot;. 我需要吃东西 - I need to eat.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-14T18:20:13.857Z
2020-08-18T13:43:12.103Z
2020-08-18T13:43:12.103Z
Lionel Rowe
<p>So far I know <code>想</code> means <code>want to</code> e.g I want to know or I want to have.
<code>要</code> is more like <code>must</code> or <code>need</code> e.g. I need to go or I must go.</p>
<p>Is <code>想要</code> more like <code>想得到</code> / <code>想有</code>, that you want to get something, you want to have it, even you don't need it? Like you want to have a car on your own but you will never leave your room. That's the meaning to <code>want to get or want to have to me</code>.</p>
<p>or</p>
<p>Is <code>想要</code> more like <code>需要</code>, that you need it even you don't want it? Like you need a pen to be able to write, but you don't really want it. If you don't need to write you will never buy a pen, you prefer buying a car. That's the meaning of <code>need</code> to me.</p>

<meaning>
What does `想要` emphasize exactly?
# What does `想要` emphasize exactly?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-08-14)

So far I know `想` means `want to` e.g I want to know or I want to have.
`要` is more like `must` or `need` e.g. I need to go or I must go.

Is `想要` more like `想得到` / `想有`, that you want to get something, you want to have it, even you don't need it? Like you want to have a car on your own but you will never leave your room. That's the meaning to `want to get or want to have to me`.

or

Is `想要` more like `需要`, that you need it even you don't want it? Like you need a pen to be able to write, but you don't really want it. If you don't need to write you will never buy a pen, you prefer buying a car. That's the meaning of `need` to me.

**Tags:** meaning


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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-08-15. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

想要 means "want" regardless of whether or not you need.)

需要 means "need".)

> Like you want to have a car on your own but you will never leave your
> room

你想要車，但你不需要車。(You want car, but you don't need it.) (Want and not need.)

我想要去廁所。(I want to go to toilet.) (Want and need.)

So use 需要 to describe when you really need.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Can I use `要` to emphasize what I `will` do in the future, for in the future only? Not about want or want to. e.g. If I can go to Japan, I will visit my grandmother.  
> **username_1**: It can be used to denote something gonna happened. According to dictionary owned by Ministry of Education in Taiwan, [要](http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&searchid=W00000010874) can mean 即將.  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-08-14. Score: 2

想要 + n: want to get/own something

想要 + verb: want to do

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: If I remove `要` and have only `想 + n` and `想 + verb`, will they emphasize the same meaning as your answer above?  
> **username_2**: @username_0, latter one, yes; former one, no.  `想 + n` means 'miss/longing' or 'think about'  
> **username_0**: How about `要 + noun` and `要 + verb`?  
> **username_2**: Depending on context, the meaning may vary, I can only give the most common ones here. `要 + noun` in '他向母亲要十块钱' means 'ask for'; `要 + verb` in '你要好好学习' means ‘should', in '我要迟到了' means ‘will’.  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2020-08-14. Score: 1

想要 can express 想得到/想有/需要. Whether you really need it or not.

e.g.

我想要吃東西 could represent "I'm hungry" or "I want to eat something even I'm not hungry".


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### Answer by username_4 on 2020-08-14. Score: 1

想要 ≈ 想 - want/would like (to)

我想要吃东西 ≈ 我想吃东西

要 on its own is usually "want", not "need", but a bit stronger than 想/想要. However, 要 can also mean "will". 我要吃东西 could mean either "I want to eat" or "I will eat", depending on context. It would never mean "I need to eat".

需要 is always "need". 我需要吃东西 - I need to eat.


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