我要买
wǒ yào mǎi
I'll buy it · trad. 我要買
我要买 (wǒ yào mǎi) is a common phrase to express the intention or decision to buy something. It means "I want to buy" or "I'll buy it," and is used when you've decided to make a purchase.
What does 我要买 (wǒ yào mǎi) mean?
我要买 (wǒ yào mǎi) means “I'll buy it” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “I want to buy.”
When to use it
Neutral and direct. It's suitable for most shopping situations. If you want to ask "Do you want to buy it?", you can say 你要买吗 (nǐ yào mǎi ma)? If you've already purchased something, you would use a different structure to indicate completion.
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “WOH yau MYE.” 我 (wǒ) is a third tone, 要 (yào) is a fourth tone, and 买 (mǎi) is also a third tone. Pay attention to the distinct tones.
Other ways to say it
- 我决定买了wǒ juédìng mǎi leI've decided to buy it
Examples
我要买这件衣服。
wǒ yào mǎi zhè jiàn yīfu.
I want to buy this piece of clothing.
好的，我要买它。
hǎo de, wǒ yào mǎi tā.
Okay, I'll buy it.
这个多少钱？如果合适，我要买。
zhège duōshao qián? rúguǒ héshì, wǒ yào mǎi.
How much is this? If it's suitable, I'll buy it.
Pro tip: Remember that 要 (yào) indicates future intention or desire ("want to" or "will"), making 我要买 (wǒ yào mǎi) mean "I'll buy it." Using a different particle like 了 (le) would change the meaning to past tense, indicating "I bought it," which is a common mistake for expressing future intent.
Related phrases
我再看看 · I'll keep looking or just browsing我只是看看 · I'm just looking帮我包一下 · Please wrap it up
Want to speak Chinese for real?
Start a free lesson with a native teacher →
Start a free lesson with a native teacher →