Wanting, Needing and the Near Future: 欲 and 愛

01

欲 — Want To, and About To

As a full verb 欲 (behbehbeh4) is want. Placed before another verb it says the action is imminent — on the point of happening. Since Taiwanese has no future tense, this is one of the main ways of pointing forward.

• 你敢欲佮伊做朋友？

  lí kám beh kah i tsò pîng-iúlí kám beh kah i chò pêng-iúli2 kam2 beh4 kah4 i1 tso3 ping5-iu2

  Do you want to be friends with him?

• 我欲去一逝便所。

  guá beh khì tsi̍t tsuā piān-sóogóa beh khì chi̍t chōa piān-só͘gua2 beh4 khi3 tsit8 tsua7 pian7-soo2

  I need to go to the bathroom.

• 公車欲到站啊

  kong-tshia beh kàu-tsām --ahkong-chhia beh kàu-chām --ahkong1-tshia1 beh4 kau3-tsam7 --ah4

  The bus is about to arrive.

• 我欲去超市矣。

  guá beh khì tshiau-tshī --ahgóa beh khì chhiau-chhī --ahgua2 beh4 khi3 tshiau1-tshi7 --ah4

  I'm off to the supermarket now.

It pairs constantly with 矣 (--ah--ah--ah4), which marks the change as just arriving — together they give English about to … now.

02

愛 — Love, and Have To

愛 (àiàiai3) is to love or to like when it takes a noun. Before a verb it shifts to obligation — must, have to, need to.

• 我愛𪜶，𪜶嘛愛我。

  guá ài in in mā ài guágóa ài in in mā ài góagua2 ai3 in1 in1 ma7 ai3 gua2

  I love them, and they love me.

• 你敢愛啥？

  lí kám ài siánnlí kám ài siáⁿli2 kam2 ai3 siann2

  Do you want anything?

It also asks what something requires, which is how prices are asked.

• 這个愛偌濟錢？

  tsit ê ài guā-tsē tsînnchit ê ài gōa-chē chîⁿtsit4 e5 ai3 gua7-tse7 tsinn5

  How much does this cost?

03

欲愛 Together

The two stack, giving a want that is about to be acted on — roughly I'm going to need.

• 我欲愛買三支新的。

  guá beh ài bé sann ki sin êgóa beh ài bé saⁿ ki sin êgua2 beh4 ai3 be2 sann1 ki1 sin1 e5

  I want to buy three new ones.

04

Obligation With a Verb

Before a verb, 愛 (àiàiai3) is have to, and it often teams up with 應該 (ìng-kaièng-kaiing3-kai1) should to soften the requirement into a recommendation.

• 我感覺物食就應該愛薟。

  guá kám-kak mi̍h-tsia̍h tō ìng-kai ài hiamgóa kám-kak mi̍h-chia̍h tō èng-kai ài hiamgua2 kam2-kak4 mih8-tsiah8 to7 ing3-kai1 ai3 hiam1

  I think food should be spicy.

05

Negatives

欲 (behbehbeh4) is negated with 無 (bôbôbo5) — not going to. Obligation is cancelled with 免 (biánbiánbian2) need not rather than by negating 愛 (àiàiai3), so you don't have to is 免 (biánbiánbian2) and not a negated 愛 (àiàiai3).

• 我猶無趕欲行。

  guá iáu bô kuánn beh kiânngóa iáu bô koáⁿ beh kiâⁿgua2 iau2 bo5 kuann2 beh4 kiann5

  I'm not in a hurry to leave yet.

06

Telling Them Apart

If a noun follows, read 欲 (behbehbeh4) as want and 愛 (àiàiai3) as like or cost. If a verb follows, read 欲 (behbehbeh4) as about to and 愛 (àiàiai3) as have to. That one test resolves nearly every case you will meet at this level.