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###The futility of thinking 想 can be fully understood in English.

###But how can I understand 想?

###Translation catalyst: first replace 想 with "something going on in some brain".

我在想你今天会不会来.
I am [something going on in my brain] if you will come today.
version 1: I am wondering if you will come today.
version 2: I am thinking about whether you will come today.

 

我想知道你今天会不会来.
I [something going on in my brain] to know if you will come today.
version 1: I want to know if you will come today.
version 2: I would like to know if you will come today.
version 3: I yearn to know if you will come today.

###What's the difference between 想 vs. 想要 vs. 要?

The futility of thinking 想 can be fully understood in English.

But how can I understand 想?

Translation catalyst: first replace 想 with "something going on in some brain".

我在想你今天会不会来.
I am [something going on in my brain] if you will come today.
version 1: I am wondering if you will come today.
version 2: I am thinking about whether you will come today.

我想知道你今天会不会来.
I [something going on in my brain] to know if you will come today.
version 1: I want to know if you will come today.
version 2: I would like to know if you will come today.
version 3: I yearn to know if you will come today.

What's the difference between 想 vs. 想要 vs. 要?

1. 想 has multiple distinct meanings: think, feel, miss, imagine, want, wonder, ...; maybe even opine, deduce, conceive, etc., in certain contexts.
2. Each of these English words have multiple distinct meanings (in English).
3. 想 is ambiguous, and a given usage can often be reasonably translated to multiple distinct words in English.
4. Likewise, the English equivalents are ambiguous, and can often be reasonably translated to multiple distinct words in Chinese, some of which don't even involve 想, such as 考虑, 怀念, 认为, 要求, 决定.

1. 想 has multiple distinct meanings: think, feel, miss, imagine, want, wonder, ...; maybe even opine, deduce, conceive, etc., in certain contexts.
2. Each of these English words have multiple distinct meanings (in English).
3. 想 is ambiguous, and a given usage can often be reasonably translated to multiple distinct words in English.
4. Likewise, the English equivalents are ambiguous, and can often be reasonably translated to multiple distinct words in Chinese, some of which don't even involve 想, such as 考虑, 怀念, 觉得, 认为, 要求, 决定.

我想要吃饺子。
version 1: I intend to eat dumplings.
version 2: I would like to eat dumplings.
version 3: I want to eat dumplings.

我想吃饺子。
version 1: I desire to eat dumplings.
version 2: I wish to eat dumplings.
version 3: I'm thinking of eating dumplings.

我想要吃饺子。
version 1: I intend to eat dumplings.
version 2: I would like to eat dumplings.
version 3: I want to eat dumplings.

我想吃饺子。
version 1: I desire to eat dumplings.
version 2: I wish to eat dumplings.
version 3: I'm thinking of eating dumplings.
version 4: I want to eat dumplings.