Learn Hardcore Chinese: tā xiǎng tīng wǒ shuō ma? - Does she want to listen to me speak?

Here 想 (xiǎng) means want to / would like to. It does not mean “think” in this sentence because it’s followed by another verb (听). For “think/feel (that) …” you’d more often use 觉得 (juéde). Compared with 要 (yào), 想 is softer and less forceful.

Why do we say 听我说 instead of just 听我?

听我说 literally means “listen to me speak/hear me out” and is a very common set phrase. Plain 听我 is usually incomplete unless context supplies the missing action (e.g., “listen to me [sing]”). If you say 听我的, it means “do as I say/obey me,” which is different.

Can I say 听我说话 or 听我讲 instead of 听我说?

听我说话 is fine and very natural: “listen to me talk.”
听我讲 is also possible; 讲 (jiǎng) is common in Taiwan and southern varieties and can sound a bit like “explain/tell.”
In Mainland-style Putonghua, 说/说话 are the safest defaults here.

Where does 吗 (ma) go, and can I move it?

吗 goes at the very end of a yes–no question: 她想听我说吗？ You don’t move it earlier, and you don’t invert word order. In casual speech you can sometimes drop 吗 and use a rising tone, but in writing the 吗 (or another question form) is preferred.

What’s the A-not-A alternative to this question?

You can use the A-not-A pattern on the main verb: 她想不想听我说？ It’s a bit more direct/pressing than the 吗 version. Don’t add 吗 to an A-not-A question.

How do I answer this naturally?

Affirmative: 想。/ 她想。/ 她想听你说。
Negative: 不想。/ 她不想。/ 她不想听你说。 Short answers with just 想/不想 are very common.

What’s the difference between 她想听我说吗 and 她要我说吗?

她想听我说吗？ asks whether she wants to listen to what I say.
她要我说吗？ asks whether she wants me to speak (say it)—it’s about getting me to talk, not about her listening. Different focus.

Can I replace 想 with 要 here: 她要听我说吗?

Yes, 她要听我说吗？ is grammatical, but 要 sounds stronger/more decided (“does she intend/insist on listening to me?”). 想 is softer and more tentative (“would she like to…”).

Any pronunciation or tone tips for this sentence?

Pinyin and tones: tā (1) xiǎng (3) tīng (1) wǒ (3) shuō (1) ma (neutral). There’s no 3rd-tone sandhi needed here because the 3rd tones (想, 我) are each followed by 1st tones. Keep 吗 light and unstressed (neutral tone).

Is there any difference between 他 and 她 in speech?

No. 他/她/它 are all pronounced tā. The gender difference exists only in writing, not in pronunciation.

Can I drop the subject and just say 想听我说吗?

Yes, if the subject is clear from context, 想听我说吗？ is natural in conversation. Chinese often omits subjects when they’re understood.

Does 听 mean “listen” or “hear”? How about 听见/听到?

听 is “to listen” (intentional). 听见/听到 are “to hear” (perception). So your sentence uses 听 correctly for willingness to listen. 她想听见我说吗？ would be unusual unless you mean “Does she want to hear me say [specific words]?”

Can I add complements like 说完 or softeners like 一下?

Yes:

她想听我说完吗？ “Does she want to hear me out (until I finish)?”
她想听我说一下吗？ “Does she want to hear me say a bit/briefly?”

Is 听我说 also used as an imperative?

Yes. 听我说！ means “Listen to me!/Hear me out!” It’s a common way to get someone’s attention before you explain something.

Can I use 呢 instead of 吗?

Not for a straightforward yes–no question. 呢 is used for follow-up/echo questions or to indicate an ongoing state (e.g., 她呢？ “What about her?”). For yes–no questions, use 吗 or the A-not-A form.

Where do time/place words go if I add them?

Time typically goes before the verb phrase or at the start: 她明天想听我说吗？
Place links to the listening action with 在: 她想在会议上听我说吗？ (She wants to listen to me at the meeting?)