How to Say ‘I want’ in Simplified Chinese
我想
wǒ xiǎng
[waw shyang]
💬 Usage Tip: [想] before a verb often softens what you want: [我想点...] is more natural than a blunt [我要...]. You can reuse it with other actions too, like [我想换燕麦奶] for "I'd like to switch to oat milk."
Phrase Breakdown
我
wǒ
[waw]
I; me
A pronoun meaning 'I' or 'me,' used to refer to yourself.
我想点一杯咖啡。
I would like to order a cup of coffee.
想
xiǎng
[shyang]
want to; would like to; think
Often means 'want to' or 'would like to' before a verb; it can also mean 'to think.'
我想点燕麦奶拿铁。
I would like to order an oat milk latte.
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