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Usages of yào
这 家 食堂 虽然 不 大， 但是 菜 很 多， 也 不 贵， 一般 只 要 二十 块。Zhè jiā shítáng suīrán bú dà, dànshì cài hěn duō, yě bú guì, yìbān zhǐ yào èrshí kuài.
Although this cafeteria isn’t big, it has a lot of dishes and isn’t expensive; usually it only costs twenty yuan.
我 现在 要 回 宿舍 休息。wǒ xiànzài yào huí sùshè xiūxi.
I want to go back to the dorm to rest now.
Test yourself: What does yào mean?
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“How do tones work in Chinese?”
Mandarin Chinese has four main tones plus a neutral tone. The same syllable can mean completely different things depending on the tone — for example, "mā" (mother), "má" (hemp), "mǎ" (horse), and "mà" (scold). Mastering tones is essential for being understood.
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