To yearn is to want something so deeply that the wanting hurts a little — and usually the thing is far away, long gone, or not possible at all. That last part is what makes 'yearn' different from 'want'.

To yearn is to want something so deeply that the wanting hurts a littleYearn是指想要某樣東西想得那麼深，深到那種想要帶著一點點痛——and usually the thing is far away, long gone, or not possible at all而且那樣東西通常是遠在他方、早已消失，或根本不可能得到的。That last part is what makes 'yearn' different from 'want'就是最後這一點，讓「yearn」跟「want」不一樣。

You want a coffee; you yearn for a home you left twenty years ago, or for a person who does not love you back, or for a life you never had. The feeling is quiet and long-lasting, not a sudden craving.

You want a coffee你want想要一杯咖啡；you yearn for a home you left twenty years ago但你yearn思念渴望的，是二十年前離開的家，or for a person who does not love you back或是一個不愛你的人，or for a life you never had或是一種你從來沒有過的生活。The feeling is quiet and long-lasting這種感覺是安靜、長久的，not a sudden craving不是突然湧上來的渴望。

Grammar first: it almost always takes 'for' — 'she yearned for peace' — or an infinitive — 'he yearned to go home'. You rarely say 'yearn something'.

Grammar first: it almost always takes 'for'先講文法：它幾乎都會搭配「for」——'she yearned for peace'「she yearned for peace她渴望和平」——or an infinitive或是搭配不定詞——'he yearned to go home'「he yearned to go home他渴望回家」。You rarely say 'yearn something'你很少會直接說「yearn something」。

It is a written, literary word. In poems, songs, and novels it is everywhere; in everyday Taiwanese-English conversation it would sound heavy, and people say 'really miss' or 'would love to' instead. Using it in ordinary speech is not wrong, just noticeably emotional — which a writer may want on purpose.

It is a written, literary word它是一個書面、文學性的字。In poems, songs, and novels it is everywhere在詩、歌曲和小說裡到處都是它；in everyday Taiwanese-English conversation it would sound heavy在台灣人平常講英文的對話裡，用它會顯得很重，and people say 'really miss' or 'would love to' instead人們比較會說「really miss真的很想念」或「would love to很想」來代替。Using it in ordinary speech is not wrong, just noticeably emotional在平常講話時用它並不算錯，只是感情會明顯濃烈一點——which a writer may want on purpose而這正是作家有時候刻意想要的效果。

There is also a rarer, warmer use: to yearn for someone can mean to feel tender pity toward them, as in older writing, 'his heart yearned toward the child'.

There is also a rarer, warmer use還有一種比較少見、比較溫暖的用法：to yearn for someone can mean to feel tender pity toward themto yearn for someone可以指對某人感到溫柔的憐惜，as in older writing就像老一點的寫法裡，'his heart yearned toward the child'「his heart yearned toward the child他的心對那孩子生出憐惜」。