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I know both of them mean "want to" but have usage in different contexts. When should I use each one?

For example:

我要去上海市 and 我想去上海市

What's the difference in the meaning between them?

Also, I've seen these two characters together in some sentences.

我想要去上海市

When they're together, is there a third context?

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The way I differentiate between these two is using "want" and "need".

In English "need" still means "want to", but there is an added necessity.

This is apparent in the following two sentences:

我想吃饭

I want to eat

我要吃饭

I need to eat

You will also hear people using 需要 (Xūyào) to indicate need, so just think of 要 as a shortened version of that:

你需要我做什么？

What do you need me to do

想要 is interchangeable with 想 in most uses.

Also worth noting is 要 can be used to indicate "going to":

你为什么想把它弄坏了？

Why do you want to break it?

你为什么要把它弄坏了？

Why are you going to break it?

你为什么想去他家？

Why do you want to go to (his/her) house?

你为什么要去他家？

Why are you going to (his/her) house?

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    Is 需要 alway interchangeable with 要, or are there some rules about that?
    – Cocowalla
    Commented Dec 19, 2011 at 8:40
  • @Cocowalla - They are interchangeable.
    – going
    Commented Dec 19, 2011 at 9:27
  • I think it comes down to the difference between intention and desire. 要 indicates an intention i.e. that the action is certain to be conducted in the future, whereas 想 indicates simply an abstract desire for that action be done. 我想吃饭 indeed means "I want to eat," but I would say 我要吃饭 means something closer to "I am going to eat" -- the desire is implicit, and the intent is very clear.
    – Marko
    Commented Aug 13, 2019 at 2:42
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要 has more certainty or confidence than 想 in tone.

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  • So, 我要厺 is more like I will go and 我想厺 more like I really want to go but I don't know when or how ?
    – gustavotkg
    Commented Dec 18, 2011 at 15:37
  • That's correct.
    – Bruce Li
    Commented Dec 18, 2011 at 15:52
  • And how about these two together?
    – gustavotkg
    Commented Dec 18, 2011 at 16:00
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    想要 = 想 in tone，but usually used to request someone else to do something. For example 我想要你帮我做一件事情。
    – Bruce Li
    Commented Dec 19, 2011 at 0:33
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想 means you 'want to do' something , but maybe you would not to do it, just think about it. 要 means you 'will do' something and it have been put in your schedule

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要 usually means "want", but there are a few possible definitions to 想, 想 may possibly mean "think", or another possible definition is "want". Some examples: 我想去购物商场。 我要去购物商场。 我想要去购物商场。 When compared, 要 has more confidence in tone compared to 想.

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