guìzhòngwùpǐn yào zhuāngxiāng, yǐmiǎn fāshēng sǔnshī.

to need to

Breakdown of guìzhòngwùpǐn yào zhuāngxiāng, yǐmiǎn fāshēng sǔnshī.

• 发生fāshēng: to happen; occur
• 贵重物品guìzhòngwùpǐn: valuable item

Questions & Answers about guìzhòngwùpǐn yào zhuāngxiāng, yǐmiǎn fāshēng sǔnshī.

What does 要 mean here? Is it want to, will, or must?

Here, 要 means need to / should / must.

So in 贵重物品要装箱, it does not mean valuable items want to be packed. It means:

• valuable items should be packed in a box
• valuable items need to be boxed

This kind of 要 is very common in instructions, notices, and practical advice.

Compare:

• 我要去中国。 = I want to go to China.
• 贵重物品要装箱。 = Valuable items must/should be boxed.

The meaning depends on context.

Why is there no subject like 你, 您, or 我们 in the sentence?

Chinese often leaves out the subject when it is obvious from context.

In this sentence, the real meaning is something like:

• 贵重物品要装箱
  = Valuable items should be packed = You should pack valuable items in a box

The person doing the action is not the main focus. The focus is the rule or instruction itself.

This is very common in notices and warnings. English often needs a subject, but Chinese often does not.

Is 贵重物品 singular or plural?