想

Want to

Level 1Sounds Like soeng2

Use 想 (soeng2) directly before a verb to express that you want to do an action (e.g., 我想去 ngo5 soeng2 heoi3 - 'I want to go'). To say 'don't want to', place 唔 (m4) before 想 to make 唔想 (m4 soeng2).

How It Works

1. Basic Structure
Place 想 (soeng2) directly before a verb phrase to express what you want to do:

  • Subject + 想 + Verb Phrase
  • 我想食嘢 (ngo5 soeng2 sik6 je5) = I want to eat something.

2. Negation and Adverbs
To negate this desire, place 唔 (m4) directly before 想:

  • 我唔想去 (ngo5 m4 soeng2 heoi3) = I don't want to go.

Degree adverbs like 好 (hou2, 'very / really') also precede 想:

  • 我好想去日本 (ngo5 hou2 soeng2 heoi3 jat6 bun2) = I really want to go to Japan.

3. Asking Questions
Use the A-not-A question structure 想唔想 (soeng2 m4 soeng2):

  • 你想唔想食飯？ (nei5 soeng2 m4 soeng2 sik6 faan6?) = Do you want to eat a meal?

4. Wanting Nouns: 想要 (soeng2 jiu3)
Never place a bare noun directly after 想 alone to mean 'want an item'. To express wanting a physical item politely, combine 想 with 要 (jiu3) to form 想要 (soeng2 jiu3):

  • 我想要一杯咖啡 (ngo5 soeng2 jiu3 jat1 bui1 gaa3 fe1) = I would like a cup of coffee.

In ordering contexts, native speakers also commonly use 要 (jiu3), 唔該 (m4 goi1), or 畀 (bei2).

5. Secondary Meanings: 'Miss' and 'Think'
Placing a person or noun directly after 想 alone means 'to miss' or 'think of' (e.g., 我想你 ngo5 soeng2 nei5 = I miss you). Before a clause, 想 can also mean 'to think / suppose / reckon' (e.g., 我想佢唔會嚟 ngo5 soeng2 keoi5 m4 wui5 lei4 = I reckon he won't come), though 諗 (nam2) or 覺得 (gok3 dak1) are more common for active thinking.

Examples (4)

  1. 我想食嘢。

    I want to eat something.

    Word by Word: I want eat thing.

    想 (soeng2) comes directly before the verb 食 (sik6, 'to eat').

  2. 你想唔想學廣東話啊？

    Do you want to learn Cantonese?

    Word by Word: You want not want learn Cantonese particle?

    想唔想 (soeng2 m4 soeng2) forms an A-not-A question asking 'do you want to...?'

  3. 我好想去日本旅行。

    I really want to go traveling in Japan.

    Word by Word: I very want go Japan travel.

    好 (hou2) placed before 想 (soeng2) intensifies the desire to 'really want to'.

  4. 我唔想飲咖啡。

    I don't want to drink coffee.

    Word by Word: I not want drink coffee.

    Negation 唔 (m4) precedes 想 (soeng2) to mean 'don't want to'.

Common Mistakes

  • Placing a physical noun directly after 想 to express wanting an item.

    我想咖啡。
    我想飲咖啡。

    想 (soeng2) as a modal verb requires an action verb (like 飲 jam2, 'to drink'). Placing a noun directly after 想 changes the verb's meaning to 'to miss' or 'think of'.

  • Using 想 alone to order food or goods in service transactions.

    唔該，我想一個蛋撻。
    唔該，我要一個蛋撻。

    In restaurants or shops, native speakers use 要 (jiu3) or 畀 (bei2) with 唔該 (m4 goi1) to order items. Using 想 without an action verb sounds grammatically incomplete.

  • Putting 唔 after 想 when you mean 'don't want to'.

    Different Meaning我想唔食。
    我唔想食。

    我想唔食 is possible, but it means 'I am thinking of not eating' or 'I would like to skip it'. To say you do not want to eat, put 唔 (m4) before 想: 唔想食 (m4 soeng2 sik6).

How It Connects

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想Level 1Want to

Learn This First

To use '想' (want to), you need to understand basic Cantonese word order, as '想' functions as an auxiliary verb placed before the main action. You should also be familiar with basic pronouns to identify who has the desire and the general negation particle '唔' to express a lack of desire.

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