Wanting and Intending: 愛 and 想愛

01

想愛 — Would Like To

想愛 (siongˊ oiˇsióng oi) expresses a wish. It says what the speaker would like, without committing them to doing it, and it is the polite form for stating a preference or placing an order.

• 𠊎想愛食披薩。

  ngai siongˊ oiˇ shidˋ pi saˋngài sióng oi shi̍t phì sâ

  I'd like to eat pizza.

• 𠊎想愛去公園。

  ngai siongˊ oiˇ hiˇ gungˋ rhanngài sióng oi hi kûng yàn

  I want to go to the park.

• 𠊎想愛焙一隻雞卵糕，毋過𠊎無雞卵。

  ngai siongˊ oiˇ poi+ rhid zhag gaiˋ lonˊ goˋ m goˇ ngai mo gaiˋ lonˊngài sióng oi pho̊i yit chak kâi lón kô m̀ ko ngài mò kâi lón

  I'd like to bake a cake, but I don't have any eggs.

02

愛 — Want

愛 (oiˇoi) before a verb or a noun states more directly what is wanted. It is firmer than a wish and shades naturally into an intention.

• 𠊎愛去買東西。

  ngai oiˇ hiˇ maiˋ dungˋ siˋngài oi hi mâi tûng sî

  I want to go and buy some things.

• 𠊎愛買一莢弓蕉摎六隻雞卵。

  ngai oiˇ maiˋ rhid gab giungˋ ziauˋ lauˋ liug zhag gaiˋ lonˊngài oi mâi yit kap kiûng tsiâu lâu liuk chak kâi lón

  I want to buy a banana and six eggs.

• 你愛去哪位？

  ngi oiˇ hiˇ nai+ vui+ngì oi hi nåi vůi

  Where do you want to go?

03

愛 — Have To, Going To

The same 愛 (oiˇoi) expresses necessity and settled intention — have to, be going to. What separates this from wanting is not the word but the situation, and a sentence about an obligation and one about a desire can look identical.

• 𠊎愛轉了。

  ngai oiˇ zhonˊ leˋngài oi chón lê

  I have to go home now.

• 𠊎愛去一下便所。

  ngai oiˇ hiˇ rhid ha+ pien+ soˊngài oi hi yit hå phie̊n só

  I need to go to the bathroom.

• 毋會，𠊎个醫生講𠊎愛休息一隻禮拜。

  m voi+ ngai gaiˇ rhiˋ senˋ gongˊ ngai oiˇ hiuˋ sid rhid zhag liˋ baiˇm̀ vo̊i ngài kai yî sên kóng ngài oi hiû sit yit chak lî pai

  No, my doctor says I need to rest for a week.

04

愛 — Costing

With an amount rather than a verb, 愛 (oiˇoi) states a price. The thing being paid for is the subject, so the sentence runs literally this needs so much.

• 這隻愛幾多錢？

  liaˊ zhag oiˇ giˊ doˋ cienliá chak oi kí tô tshièn

  How much does this cost?

• 這雞卵糕愛三十一美金四十九美分。

  liaˊ gaiˋ lonˊ goˋ oiˇ samˋ shibˋ rhid muiˋ gimˋ siˇ shibˋ giuˊ muiˋ funˋliá kâi lón kô oi sâm shi̍p yit mûi kîm si shi̍p kiú mûi fûn

  This cake costs 31 dollars and 49 cents.

• 逐隻斯愛四百日幣。

  dag zhag sii+ oiˇ siˇ bag ngid biˇtak chak sṳ̊ oi si pak ngit pi

  Each one costs only four hundred yen.

05

Telling Them Apart

想愛 (siongˊ oiˇsióng oi) wishes, 愛 (oiˇoi) wants, 愛 (oiˇoi) must or will. All three sit in the same slot in front of the verb and none of them changes shape, so the sentence around them carries the distinction.