想 + Verb
Put 想 in front of any verb to say you want to do that thing. It's the everyday 'want to' — 想去 (want to go), 想吃 (want to eat), 想睡觉 (want to sleep). Negate with 不想, ask with 想不想 or a sentence-final 吗. This is the first auxiliary most learners pick up, and it stays useful from your first day of Chinese onward.
Structure
[SUBJECT] 想 [VERB] (...)
xiǎng [VERB]
How to Think About It
想 here is an auxiliary, not the main verb — it's a flag that says 'desire follows.' The real verb does the work right after it. That's why 想 + noun is wrong: 想 needs an action to attach to. If you only have a noun, you need 想要 (a heavier 'want') or a real verb like 想吃 before the food.
Examples
我想喝水。
Wǒ xiǎng hē shuǐ.
I want to drink water.
你想去哪里？
Nǐ xiǎng qù nǎlǐ?
Where do you want to go?
他不想上班。
Tā bù xiǎng shàngbān.
He doesn't want to go to work.
Common Mistake
Learners stick a noun straight after 想 — 'I want pizza' becomes 我想披萨, which sounds like 'I miss pizza.' 想 + verb is the rule; for an object you need a verb (usually 要 or 吃/喝/买) in between.
我想咖啡。
我想喝咖啡。
Don't Confuse With
要 + Verb
要 is stronger and closer to 'will / am going to.' Use 想 for soft desire, 要 for a firmer plan or demand.
想 (as main verb: to miss / to think)
When 想 is followed directly by a person or place (我想你), it means 'miss' or 'think about.' Only the 想 + verb shape means 'want to.'
喜欢 + Verb
喜欢 means you generally enjoy doing something. 想 means you want to do it right now or soon.
Practice
Fill in the blank: 我___吃中国菜。
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想
Fill in the blank: 你想___什么？我想喝茶。
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喝
Arrange: 想 / 看 / 我 / 电影 / 今天
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我今天想看电影。
Translate to Chinese: I don't want to study today.
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我今天不想学习。
Write a sentence using 想 + verb to say something you want to do tomorrow.
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明天我想去公园跑步。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 8 Fluentide episodes: