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Questions & Answers about wǒ xiǎng shuō wǒ hěn máng.
What does 想 mean here — is it “want to” or “think”?
Here, 想 before a verb phrase (说) means “want to/would like to.” If you remove 说 and say 我想我很忙, then 想 means “think.” Two different patterns:
- Want to do something: 我想说… (I want to say…)
- Think that…: 我想…
- clause (I think that…) Common synonyms for think: 我觉得…, 我认为…
Why is the second 我 repeated? Can I drop it?
Chinese clauses need their own subject. The second 我 is the subject of the embedded clause (我很忙). If you drop it and say 我想说很忙, it sounds incomplete or unnatural because the subject is missing. A natural alternative that links back to the main subject is 我想说自己很忙 (“I want to say that I myself am busy”).
Why is 很 used before 忙? Isn’t that “very”?
In predicate-adjective sentences, Chinese typically uses a degree adverb like 很 before the adjective. In neutral statements, 很 often does not strongly mean “very”; it’s more of a default linker that makes the sentence sound natural. So 我很忙 is the normal way to say “I’m busy.” Saying 我忙 can sound terse or contrastive (e.g., “I am busy [as opposed to someone else]”).
Why can’t I say 我是忙?
Chinese adjectives behave like stative verbs, so you don’t use 是 before them. Use a degree adverb instead:
- Correct: 我很忙.
- Incorrect in this meaning: 我是忙. Reserve 是 for linking nouns/pronouns: 我是老师 (I am a teacher).
Do I need a word like “that” after 说?
No. The clause just follows 说 as its object: 我想说我很忙. Chinese does not require a “that”-like complementizer here. If you want direct quotation in writing, use punctuation: 我想说：“我很忙。”
Is 我想说我很忙 idiomatic in conversation, or should I just say I’m busy?
As a direct message to someone, it’s more natural to say the content itself:
- 我很忙。 (I’m busy.)
- Polite/softer: 不好意思，我现在有点忙。 我想说… is often used as a meta-introduction (e.g., in presentations or online posts) to preface a point: “What I want to say is…”
If I say 我想我很忙, what changes?
我想我很忙 means “I think I’m busy.” You’re reporting your thought, not your desire to say something aloud. So:
- 我想说我很忙 = I want to say I’m busy.
- 我想我很忙 = I think I’m busy.
How do I specify the listener (tell someone I’m busy)? Is 说 enough?
You can add a person with 跟/对:
- 我想跟你说我很忙。
- 我想对你说我很忙。 (a bit more formal) Or use 告诉 (“to tell/inform”), which usually takes a person:
- 我想告诉你我很忙。 Difference: 说 is “say/speak,” general. 告诉 is “tell/inform,” stronger and typically requires who is being told.
What about 说 vs 讲 vs 表示?
- 说: the most general “say/speak.”
- 讲: common in some regions; often “to speak/lecture/explain” content; near-synonymous with 说 in many casual contexts.
- 表示: “to express/state,” more formal/written. Example: 他表示他很忙。
How do I negate or soften “busy”?
- Plain negation: 我不忙。
- Softer/hedged: 我不太忙。, 我不是很忙。 Avoid 我没很忙 (unnatural with adjectives). If you want to negate a strong claim like “very busy,” say 我不是很忙 rather than 不很忙.
How can I change the degree (too busy, a bit busy, etc.)?
- Too busy: 我太忙了。
- Extremely busy: 我非常忙。
- Quite/pretty busy: 我挺忙的。
- A bit busy (slight, often with a faintly negative tone): 我有点儿忙。
- Colloquial/exaggerated: 忙死了！ (super busy)
Any tone-sandhi or pronunciation tips for the whole sentence?
Underlying pinyin: wǒ xiǎng shuō wǒ hěn máng.
- Third-tone sandhi:
- wǒ xiǎng → pronounce the first 3rd tone as 2nd: wó xiǎng.
- wǒ hěn → wó hěn (first becomes 2nd).
- hěn máng → the 3rd tone hěn is a low “half-3rd,” not a full rise. Keep shuō as first tone and máng as second tone. Natural rhythm helps more than overthinking each change.
Where do time words go if I want to say I’m busy now/today?
Time expressions generally follow the subject:
- 我现在很忙。
- 我今天很忙。 With your sentence: 我想说我现在很忙。, 我想说我今天很忙。
Do I need 了 here?
Not in the basic statement 我很忙. 了 after an adjective often adds a change-of-state or exclamatory feel, e.g., 我太忙了 (I’m too busy [now]).
Is 想要说 okay, or should I stick with 想说?
想说 is the most natural. 想要说 is grammatical but can feel heavier or more deliberate; you’ll see 想要 more with nouns or general wants (e.g., 我想要一个机会). In everyday speech, prefer 想说.
Can I say 我想说的是我很忙? What does 的是 do?
Yes. 我想说的是，我很忙。 focuses or highlights what you want to say. …的是… frames “what I want to say is …,” adding emphasis or contrast, often used in careful speech or writing.
Are spaces between Chinese words normal?
No. Standard Chinese writing does not use spaces between words. The spaces you see here are just for learner readability. In ordinary text, it would be 我想说我很忙。