How to Say ‘I'd like’ in Traditional Chinese
我要
wǒ yào
[wǒ yào]
💬 Usage Tip: 我要 is literally "I want," but in ordering food it often works like "I'd like." You can use it directly with what you want: 我要一份蒜香蝦.
🇹🇼 In Taiwan: 我要 is normal and not rude in many Taiwan food settings, especially casual ones. If you want to sound a bit softer, you can also say 我想要 or add 請.
Phrase Breakdown
我
wǒ
[wǒ]
I
The first person singular pronoun.
我要一杯水。
I want a glass of water.
要
yào
[yào]
want; need
Indicates a desire or need for something.
我要點餐。
I want to order food.
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