<blockquote>
  <p>他很忙，但是他应该<strong>要</strong>来参加我的生日晚会</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The usage of 要 denotes the <strong>future tense</strong> in this sentence. But I'd rather use 会 instead. </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>他很忙，但是他应该<strong>会</strong>来参加我的生日晚会</p>
</blockquote>

<p>In my opinion, <strong>应该会</strong> and <strong>一定要</strong> are normal collocations. So, it's also correct to say 他很忙，但是他<strong>一定要</strong>来参加我的生日晚会， but the tone is stronger than <strong>应该会</strong>. 一定要 denotes a sense of "<em>must</em>" and 应该会 is "<em>should</em>" or "<em>would</em>". </p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>要</strong>实现梦想不是一件容易的事 and <strong>要</strong>把汉语学好不是一件容易的事</p>
</blockquote>

<p>要, in these two sentences, is different from the first one. It's short for <strong>想要</strong>， meaning '<strong>want</strong>', '<strong>wish</strong>', '<strong>intend</strong>', and etc. These two sentences can be paraphrased as: </p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>想要</strong>实现梦想不是一件容易的事 and <strong>想要</strong>把汉语学好不是一件容易的事</p>
</blockquote>

<p>or </p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>想</strong>实现梦想不是一件容易的事 and <strong>想</strong>把汉语学好不是一件容易的事</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong><em>The literal translation into English might be stilted</em></strong>. That might be because the convention between English and Chinese is different . It could be something like:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>If you want to achieve your dream, that would not be an easy thing to do.</p>
  
  <p>If you want to learn Chinese language well, that would not be an easy thing to do. </p>
</blockquote>

<p>More idiomatic sentences to interpret them in English could be:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>It would not be an easy thing for one to achieve his dream. </p>
  
  <p>It would not be an easy thing for one to learn Chinese language well.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-17T23:34:54.933Z
2018-09-17T23:46:01.080Z
2018-09-17T23:46:01.080Z
dan
<p>All three examples can be interpreted as a <em>future auxiliary</em>.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>他很忙，但是他「應該<strong>要</strong>」來參加我的生日晚會</p>
  
  <p>He is very busy, but he「should <strong>be</strong>」coming to my evening birthday party.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>This「要」is used in the sense of <em>will, going to</em>, like <strong>我明天要上學</strong> (I will be going to school tomorrow). Similarly,</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>要</strong>實現夢想不是一件容易的事</p>
  
  <p><strong>To</strong> realise (one's) dreams is not an easy matter</p>
  
  <p><strong>要</strong>把漢語學好不是一件容易的事</p>
  
  <p><strong>To</strong> learn Chinese well is not an easy matter</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-17T14:04:38.250Z
Thanks a lot! As @user6065 said in the other comment the first sentence can also mean "he should have attended" (past sentence)? How do I know which one is the right translation? Would I need to add 了 for the past?
Don't Care
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-17T14:11:33.773Z
@Don'tCare I don't agree with that comment's translation. `但是他應該要來參加我的生日晚會` means *but he should be coming to my evening birthday party*. To say *he should have attended*, you wouldn't use **要**; the Chinese would be just `他(昨天)應該來參加我的生日晚會` (replace 昨天 with some other past event indicator).
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-17T16:51:38.773Z
depends on context,
要 besides indicating future could also reinforce 应该（要 necessary, essential; necessity)
see  iciba's example sentences for 应该要, http://www.iciba.com/%E5%BA%94%E8%AF%A5%E8%A6%81
    双语例句 2)
常用词组(3),
相关词条(3),
user6065
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-17T13:34:02.230Z
2018-09-17T13:34:02.230Z
dROOOze
<p>While doing exercises on my book I found some sentences with a use of 要 which I've never seen before and I can't figure out the meaning. The sentences are the following:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>他很忙，但是他应该<strong>要</strong>来参加我的生日晚会</p>
<p><strong>要</strong>实现梦想不是一件容易的事 and <strong>要</strong>把汉语学好不是一件容易的事</p>
</blockquote>

<translation><grammar><meaning><usage>
What is the meaning of 要 in these sentences?
# What is the meaning of 要 in these sentences?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-09-17)

While doing exercises on my book I found some sentences with a use of 要 which I've never seen before and I can't figure out the meaning. The sentences are the following:

> 他很忙，但是他应该**要**来参加我的生日晚会
>
> **要**实现梦想不是一件容易的事 and **要**把汉语学好不是一件容易的事

**Tags:** translation, grammar, meaning, usage


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-09-17. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

All three examples can be interpreted as a *future auxiliary*.

> 他很忙，但是他「應該**要**」來參加我的生日晚會
>
> He is very busy, but he「should **be**」coming to my evening birthday party.

This「要」is used in the sense of *will, going to*, like **我明天要上學** (I will be going to school tomorrow). Similarly,

> **要**實現夢想不是一件容易的事
>
> **To** realise (one's) dreams is not an easy matter
>
> **要**把漢語學好不是一件容易的事
>
> **To** learn Chinese well is not an easy matter

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks a lot! As @username_3 said in the other comment the first sentence can also mean "he should have attended" (past sentence)? How do I know which one is the right translation? Would I need to add 了 for the past?  
> **username_2**: @username_0 I username_0 agree with that comment's translation. `但是他應該要來參加我的生日晚會` means *but he should be coming to my evening birthday party*. To say *he should have attended*, you wouldn't use **要**; the Chinese would be just `他(昨天)應該來參加我的生日晚會` (replace 昨天 with some other past event indicator).  
> **username_3**: depends on context, 要 besides indicating future could also reinforce 应该（要 necessary, essential; necessity) see  iciba's example sentences for 应该要, http://www.iciba.com/%E5%BA%94%E8%AF%A5%E8%A6%81     双语例句 2) 常用词组(3), 相关词条(3),  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-09-17. Score: 2

> 他很忙，但是他应该**要**来参加我的生日晚会

The usage of 要 denotes the **future tense** in this sentence. But I'd rather use 会 instead.

> 他很忙，但是他应该**会**来参加我的生日晚会

In my opinion, **应该会** and **一定要** are normal collocations. So, it's also correct to say 他很忙，但是他**一定要**来参加我的生日晚会， but the tone is stronger than **应该会**. 一定要 denotes a sense of "*must*" and 应该会 is "*should*" or "*would*".

> **要**实现梦想不是一件容易的事 and **要**把汉语学好不是一件容易的事

要, in these two sentences, is different from the first one. It's short for **想要**， meaning '**want**', '**wish**', '**intend**', and etc. These two sentences can be paraphrased as:

> **想要**实现梦想不是一件容易的事 and **想要**把汉语学好不是一件容易的事

or

> **想**实现梦想不是一件容易的事 and **想**把汉语学好不是一件容易的事

***The literal translation into English might be stilted***. That might be because the convention between English and Chinese is different . It could be something like:

> If you want to achieve your dream, that would not be an easy thing to do.
>
> If you want to learn Chinese language well, that would not be an easy thing to do.

More idiomatic sentences to interpret them in English could be:

> It would not be an easy thing for one to achieve his dream.
>
> It would not be an easy thing for one to learn Chinese language well.


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