愛 and 想愛: Wanting, Loving and Intending

01

想愛 — Would Like To

想愛 (xiongˋ oisióng 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。

  ngaiˇ xiongˋ oi siid pi saˋngài sióng oi sṳ̍t phi sá

  I'd like to eat pizza.

• 𠊎想愛去公園。

  ngaiˇ xiongˋ oi hi gungˊ ienˇngài sióng oi hi kûng yèn

  I want to go to the park.

• 𠊎想愛焙一粒卵糕，毋過𠊎無雞卵。

  ngaiˇ xiongˋ oi poi idˋ liab lonˋ gauˊ mˇ go ngaiˇ moˇ gieˊ lonˋngài sióng oi phoi yit lia̍p lón kâu m̀ ko ngài mò kiê lón

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

02

愛 — Want

愛 (oi) 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。

  ngaiˇ oi hi maiˊ dungˊ xiˊngài oi hi mâi tûng sî

  I want to go and buy some things.

• 𠊎愛買一條弓蕉同六粒雞卵。

  ngaiˇ oi maiˊ idˋ tiauˇ giungˊ zeuˊ tungˇ liugˋ liab gieˊ lonˋngài oi mâi yit thiàu kiûng chêu thùng liuk lia̍p kiê lón

  I want to buy a banana and six eggs.

• 你愛去哪位？

  nˇ oi hi nai viǹ oi hi nai vi

  Where do you want to go?

03

愛 — Loving

The same word is the plain verb to love. With a person as its object that is the only available reading; with a thing, the situation decides between loving it and wanting it.

• 𠊎愛吾爸。

  ngaiˇ oi ngaˊ baˊngài oi ngâ pâ

  I love my dad.

• 𠊎愛佢兜，佢兜也愛𠊎。

  ngaiˇ oi giˇ deuˊ giˇ deuˊ ia oi ngaiˇngài oi kì têu kì têu ya oi ngài

  I love them, and they love me too.

04

愛 — Have To, Going To

The same 愛 (oi) 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。

  ngaiˇ oi zonˋ leˋngài oi chón lé

  I have to go home now.

• 𠊎愛去一下便所。

  ngaiˇ oi hi idˋ ha pien soˋngài oi hi yit ha phien só

  I need to go to the bathroom.

• 毋會，吾个醫生講𠊎愛休息一隻禮拜。

  mˇ voi ngaˊ ge iˊ senˊ gongˋ ngaiˇ oi hiuˊ xidˋ idˋ zagˋ liˊ baim̀ voi ngâ ke yî sên kóng ngài oi hiû sit yit chak lî pai

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

05

愛 — Costing

With an amount rather than a verb, 愛 (oi) 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？

  iaˋ zagˋ oi giˋ doˊ qienˇyá chak oi kí tô chhièn

  How much does this cost?

• 這卵糕愛三十一美金四十九美分。

  iaˋ lonˋ gauˊ oi samˊ siib idˋ miˊ gimˊ xi siib giuˋ miˊ funˊyá lón kâu oi sâm sṳ̍p yit mî kîm si sṳ̍p kiú mî fûn

  This cake costs 31 dollars and 49 cents.

• 逐隻只愛四百日幣。

  dagˋ zagˋ ziiˋ oi xi bagˋ ngidˋ bitak chak chṳ́ oi si pak ngit pi

  Each one costs only four hundred yen.

06

Telling Them Apart

想愛 (xiongˋ oisióng oi) wishes, 愛 (oi) wants or loves, 愛 (oi) 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.