第四十三天

[nnozomi]

要， be going to do something
https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22be_going_to%22_with_%22yao%22

(The CGW page says coyly "The auxiliary verb 要 has several different meanings..." YOU DON'T SAY. Just the straightforward future tense for the moment.)

Guardian:
小郭今天要去墓地扫墓, Xiao Guo is going to visit the graveyard today
我要让你明白为自己的家人而牺牲值！(I'm not sure if this is "I'm going to make you understand that it's worth sacrificing yourself for family" or "I need to make you understand," but maybe the former?)
我要告诉你一件事情，那个镇魂令主好像已经在来的路上了。 (Same problem. "I'm going to tell you" or "I need to tell you"?)

My practice:
我今天要去邮局买一些邮票。
那你一定要去明天，因为今天是节日，所以邮局是要关门的。


(谢谢你们写很多评论，我晚点要回复，不好意思啊）

Comments

[grayswandir]

Same problem. "I'm going to tell you" or "I need to tell you"?

I'd love to know the answer to this, too. I originally learned 要 as "need/want," so that's always the first way I interpret it, but I feel like I'm never really sure how to distinguish a genuine instance of wanting/needing to do something versus just being "going to do" something. "我要睡觉" -- "I need to sleep" or "I want to sleep" or just "I'm going to sleep"?

[trobadora]

I originally learned 要 as "need/want," so that's always the first way I interpret it, but I feel like I'm never really sure how to distinguish a genuine instance of wanting/needing to do something versus just being "going to do" something.

THIS!!!!!! Even with the 我要去 stuff, how do you tell the difference between "I want to go" and "I'm going to go"?! /o\

(This comm is so great for not feeling alone with these puzzles! ♥)

[nnozomi]

Even with the 我要去 stuff, how do you tell the difference between "I want to go" and "I'm going to go"?! /o\
seriously, oh dear.

(This comm is so great for not feeling alone with these puzzles! ♥)
<3 <3 <3 Frustration shared is ...well, not halved, but at least slightly easier to deal with...

[nnozomi]

"我要睡觉" -- "I need to sleep" or "I want to sleep" or just "I'm going to sleep"?
YES, is there some mysterious clue or is it just really that context-dependent?