Learn Hardcore Chinese: tā xiǎng mǎi yì shuāng lánsè de xiézi.

想 + verb = want to / would like to do something
- 他想买鞋子。= He wants to buy shoes.
- 我想去。= I want to go / I’d like to go.
要 (yào) + verb is often stronger and more definite, like going to / intend to:
- 他要买一双蓝色的鞋子。= He is going to buy / intends to buy a pair of blue shoes.

Nuance:

想 is softer, more like a desire or idea.
要 can sound more decided, sometimes more urgent or firm.

Both can translate as “want to”, but 想 feels gentler.

Why do we need 买 (mǎi) here? Can 想 alone mean “want to buy”?

Here, 想 on its own does not specify the action. It just shows desire or intention.

想 + verb: you must add a verb to show what you want to do.
- 他想买。= He wants to buy. (Buy what?)
- 他想买一双蓝色的鞋子。= He wants to buy a pair of blue shoes.

If you just say 他想, it usually means:

“He is thinking (about something)” or
“He wants (something)” but the object/action must be understood from context.

So in this sentence, 买 is needed to express the specific action: to buy.

What is 双 (shuāng) and why do we need it with 鞋子 (xiézi)?

双 (shuāng) is a measure word (classifier) used for pairs.

It is commonly used for:

一双鞋子 = a pair of shoes
一双袜子 = a pair of socks
一双筷子 = a pair of chopsticks
一双手 = a pair of hands

In Chinese, you usually cannot say “one shoes” directly. You need:

number + measure word + noun

So:

一双鞋子 = one pair of shoes
三双鞋子 = three pairs of shoes

That’s why 双 appears between 一 and 鞋子.

Could I use another measure word like 个 (gè) with 鞋子 instead of 双?

Yes, but the meaning changes.

一双鞋子 = a pair of shoes (two shoes that form a pair)
一个鞋子 / 一只鞋子 = one shoe (only one, not a pair)

More natural:

For a single shoe, Chinese often uses 只 (zhī):
- 一只鞋 / 一只鞋子 = one shoe

So:

他想买一双鞋子。 = He wants to buy a pair of shoes.
他想买一只鞋子。 = He wants to buy one shoe (maybe he lost one).

Using 个 with 鞋子 is possible in speech but is less precise than 双 or 只 and may sound a bit off in standard usage.

Why is the number and measure word in the order 一双蓝色的鞋子 and not “蓝色的一双鞋子”?

The typical order inside a Chinese noun phrase is:

[number] + [measure word] + [describing words] + 的 + [noun]

So:

一 (number)
双 (measure word)
蓝色的 (describing words: “blue”)
鞋子 (noun)

→ 一双蓝色的鞋子

Putting it as 蓝色的一双鞋子 is not natural for standard Chinese.
“蓝色的” is describing the 鞋子 (shoes), not the pair itself, so it comes closer to the noun and after the classifier.

Why is 一 (yī) pronounced yì in 一双 (yì shuāng)?

This is because of a pronunciation rule called tone sandhi for 一 (yī).

The basic tone of 一 is 1st tone: yī.
When 一 is followed by a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd tone, it changes to 4th tone (yì).
When 一 is followed by a 4th tone, it usually changes to 2nd tone (yí).

Here:

双 (shuāng) is 1st tone.
So 一 changes from yī to yì:
- 一双 = yì shuāng (not yī shuāng).

Examples:

一杯 (bēi, 1st tone) → yì bēi
一条 (tiáo, 2nd tone) → yì tiáo
一朵 (duǒ, 3rd tone) → yì duǒ
一个人 (gè, 4th tone) → yí ge rén

Why do we use 的 (de) after 蓝色 (lánsè)? What does 的 do here?

的 (de) is a particle that links a describing word or phrase to a noun. It’s similar to adding “-” or “of” in English.

Pattern:

[description] + 的 + [noun]

In this sentence:

蓝色 = blue (as a color)
蓝色的鞋子 = shoes that are blue / blue shoes

So 的 is marking 蓝色 as an attributive describing 鞋子.

Could I say 蓝鞋子 or 蓝色鞋子 without 的? Is there any difference?

All of these can appear in real Chinese:

蓝色的鞋子 (most neutral/common in standard Mandarin)
蓝色鞋子
蓝鞋子

Differences:

蓝色的鞋子
- Very common and neutral.
- Clear: “shoes that are blue in color.”
蓝色鞋子
- Also acceptable, a bit more concise.
- Still clearly means “blue shoes.”
蓝鞋子
- Feels more colloquial or slightly shortened.
- Still understandable as “blue shoes,” but less formal than 蓝色的鞋子.

For learners, 蓝色的鞋子 is the safest and most standard form.

What is the difference between 蓝 (lán) and 蓝色 (lánsè)?

Both are related to the color blue, but they’re used slightly differently.

蓝 (lán) by itself can mean “blue” as an adjective:
- 蓝天 = blue sky
蓝色 (lánsè) literally “blue color”:
- Used as a noun (“the color blue”) or as a more explicit color word:
  - 我喜欢蓝色。= I like blue (the color).
  - 蓝色的鞋子 = shoes that are blue.

In many everyday phrases, 蓝 and 蓝色 can both work, and the difference is small:

蓝鞋子 / 蓝色的鞋子 = blue shoes

For teaching and clarity, 蓝色的 + noun is very common and easy to use.

Why do we say 鞋子 (xiézi) instead of just 鞋 (xié)? What does 子 (zi) do?

子 (zi) is a common suffix in many nouns.
It often doesn’t change the core meaning; it can make the word sound more natural or complete.

鞋 (xié) = shoe
鞋子 (xiézi) = shoe (more common as a full noun)

Other examples:

桌 → 桌子 (table)
碗 → 碗子 (bowl – though 碗 alone is more common)
帽 → 帽子 (hat)

With 鞋, both 鞋 and 鞋子 are used:

买鞋 / 买鞋子 = buy shoes

鞋子 is often slightly more colloquial and natural in everyday speech.

Can I drop 他 (tā) and just say 想买一双蓝色的鞋子?

Yes, you can omit the subject in Chinese if it is clear from context.

If it’s obvious who you are talking about, 想买一双蓝色的鞋子 is fine and natural.
Chinese often drops pronouns when they are understood, much more than English does.

However, if it’s the first time you mention the person in the conversation, it’s better to keep 他:

他想买一双蓝色的鞋子。= He wants to buy a pair of blue shoes.

How would I say “He bought a pair of blue shoes” instead of “He wants to buy…”?

Change the verb phrase from 想买 (“wants to buy”) to 买了 (“bought”):

他买了一双蓝色的鞋子。

Explanation:

买 (mǎi) = to buy
买了 = bought (completed action, using 了 as an aspect marker)
So the structure:
- 他 (he) + 买了 (bought) + 一双蓝色的鞋子 (a pair of blue shoes)

If I just want to say “He wants to buy blue shoes” in general, not necessarily one pair, can I remove 一双?

Yes. You can drop 一双 and say:

他想买蓝色的鞋子。

This means:

“He wants to buy blue shoes” (in general, maybe more than one pair, or not specified).

Contrast:

他想买一双蓝色的鞋子。
= He wants to buy a pair of blue shoes (specifically one pair).

Can I say 他想要买一双蓝色的鞋子? What is the difference between 想 and 想要?

Yes, 他想要买一双蓝色的鞋子 is grammatically correct.

Nuance:

想买 = wants to buy / would like to buy
想要买 can sound a bit stronger or more emphatic, like “really wants to buy” or “has the desire to buy.”
In many everyday situations, 想买 and 想要买 are both understood as “wants to buy” with only a small difference in feel.

For simple, natural sentences, 想买 is usually enough:

他想买一双蓝色的鞋子。 = Very natural, common phrasing.

In writing, how do I know whether 他 (he), 她 (she) or 它 (it) is meant, since they are all pronounced tā?

In spoken Chinese, 他 / 她 / 它 are all pronounced the same: tā.

In writing, they are distinguished by character:

他 = he / him (male person, or generic “he” in older usage)
她 = she / her (female person)
它 = it (non-human: animals, objects, abstract things)

In this sentence:

他想买一双蓝色的鞋子。
- The character 他 tells you it refers to a male person (or “he” in a generic way if gender is not important).