Want to: muốn + verb

Muốn means "want" or "would like", and the next verb follows straight on, with no word for "to": Tôi muốn đi Đà Lạt. I want to go to Đà Lạt.

With food and drink, Vietnamese usually says the verb as well, where English often leaves it out: Em muốn uống nước dừa, literally "I want to drink coconut water". When you point at a thing, muốn can take it directly: Chị muốn cái nào? Which one do you want?

To want someone else to do something, put that person after muốn: Mẹ muốn em về sớm. Mum wants me home early.

To ask, wrap it in có … không: Anh có muốn đi cà phê không? Do you want to go for a coffee? It's a friendly way to invite someone. A question word stays in its place: Em muốn ăn gì? "Don't want" is không muốn.

Thích is "like" in general; muốn is what you want now: Em thích phở (I like phở), Em muốn ăn phở (I feel like phở). To order in a café, Cho em … is more usual than Em muốn ….

You may also meet như muốn, "as if about to": Trời như muốn mưa. It looks like rain.