en
cs
da
de
it
plXiǎng 想 ‘would like to, want to’ is a modal verb that always combines with another verb. It is usually used to express willingness or intention.
Structure
Basic form
Like other modal verbs, xiǎng 想 is generally placed before the verb it refers to.
Negation
Xiǎng 想 can be negated by the negative adverb bù 不, which must be placed before xiǎng 想.
Questions
There are two ways to ask questions with xiǎng 想. One is to add the question particle ma 吗/嗎 at the end of the sentence.
The other is to use the “modal verb bù 不 modal verb” structure before the verb.
With adverbs
Adverbs, such as hěn 很 ‘very’ and zhǐ 只 ‘only’, usually need to be placed before xiǎng 想.
With verbs preceded by a prepositional phrase
Like other modal verbs, when a verb is preceded by a prepositional phrase, xiǎng 想 should be placed before this phrase.
When there is no particular emphasis, the typical place of a time noun is before xiǎng 想. Otherwise, the time expression is placed after xiǎng 想.
Functions
Xiǎng 想 expressing willingness or intention
Xiǎng 想 ‘would like to, want to’ expresses willingness or intention, often indicating a desire to do something or inquiring about someone else’s intention or willingness.
Degree adverbs and adverbial phrases, such as hěn 很 ‘very’, bú tài 不太 ‘not very’ or zhēn 真 ‘really’ are placed before xiǎng 想 to indicate the degree of intention or willingness.