There are two main ways to say that you “want” something or “want to” do something in Japanese: using the adjective ほしい transcribed hoshii or the ending 〜たい transcribed -tai.
But be careful! If you want to talk about what someone else wants, you’ll need to use totally different expressions.
In this post, we’ll talk all about how to express “wanting” in Japanese: describing your own desires, describing other people’s desires, and expressing a desire for someone else to do something. Let’s get started!
How to express your own desires in Japanese?
In Japanese, you can express your own desires using the adjective ほしい transcribed hoshii or by using the ending 〜たい transcribed -tai.
Use ほしい transcribed hoshii to express desire for a thing (a noun).
Use 〜たい transcribed -tai to express that you want to do something or to be some way.
Let’s look more closely at each structure.
How to use ほしい [hoshii] for “I want…”?
You’ll use the word ほしい transcribed hoshii, or 欲しい with kanji, to express your desire for a noun, like coffee, a car, a sibling, or more time. Though ほしい is often translated using the verb “to want,” in Japanese it’s actually an an i-adjective meaning “wanted (by me).”
This means that ほしい takes the i-adjective endings, but it also means that the thing you want is actually the subject of the sentence. Here’s the sentence structure to use:
Topic + は transcribed wa
(optional)
Wanted thing + が transcribed ga
If the listener is someone close to you (e.g., a family member, a best friend), you can also use ほしい can ask what they want, though the question sounds very direct and somewhat blunt.
Like other subjects, the particle が transcribed ga marks the wanted thing in a neutral sentence, but in other contexts it can be replaced with other particles such as the emphasis marker も transcribed mo or the topic/contrast marker は transcribed wa, depending on the context.
How to use 〜たい [tai] for “I want…”?
In Japanese, you’ll attach the ending 〜たい transcribed -tai to an action you want to do. This ending is attached to the 〜ます transcribed -masu stem of the verb, meaning the part of its polite form that comes before the 〜ます transcribed -masu ending. For example:
| Dictionary form | Polite form | 〜たい form |
|---|---|---|
行く Transcription: iku Translation: go (plain) | 行きます Transcription: ikimasu Translation: go (polite) | 行きたい Transcription: ikitai Translation: I want to go |
The 〜たい ending is actually a “helping adjective.” This means it takes endings just like an i-adjective.
Just like with ほしい transcribed hoshii, you can only use 〜たい to describe your own desires or to ask about a familiar listener’s desires. The “wanter” is often omitted.
How to mark the direct object of a verb + 〜たい?
When using 〜たい to mark an action someone wants, and that action has a direct object, you will mark that either with を transcribed o or が transcribed ga. In many cases, you can use either marker, with no difference in meaning between the two.
However, sometimes one marker will clearly sound better than the other to native speakers. Unfortunately, there are no rules that will work 100% of the time, but here are some general guidelines that will help you choose:
が transcribed ga is preferred in simple sentences about wanting to eat or drink something, though を transcribed o is not wrong.
direct objectお昼はラーメンが食べたいです。Transcription: Ohiru wa rāmen ga tabetai desu.Translation: I want to eat ramen for lunch.暑いね。アイスコーヒーが飲みたいな。Transcription: Atsui ne. Aisu kōhii ga nomitai na.Translation: It’s hot, isn’t it! I want to drink iced coffee.You should not use が transcribed ga in the following cases:
When there is another element between the object and the verb, like an adverb.
objectverb✅ すしをたくさん食べたいです。Transcription: Sushi o takusan tabetai desu.Translation: I want to eat a lot of sushi.🆗 すしがたくさん食べたいです。Transcription: Sushi ga takusan tabetai desu.Translation: I want to eat a lot of sushi.Though が can sometimes be technically grammatical in sentences like this, it will always sound awkward, compared with just using を.When you’re attaching 〜たい transcribed -tai to the 〜ている transcribed -te iru form of a verb.
objectte iru verb + 〜たい✅ 休みの日は一日中本を読んでいたい。Transcription: Yasumi no hi wa ichinichijū hon o yonde itai.Translation: I’d like to be reading books all day long on my day off.❌ 休みの日は一日中本が読んでいたい。Transcription: Yasumi no hi wa ichinichijū hon ga yonde itai.To mark a noun that is not a direct object.
✅ 公園を散歩したいです。Transcription: Kōen o sanpo shitai desu.Translation: I want to take a walk through the park.❌ 公園が散歩したいです。Transcription: Kōen ga sanpo shitai desu.Recall that though the particle を transcribed o mostly marks direct objects, there are cases when を marks locations. These can’t be replaced by が.
Remember, though, that choosing between が and を in sentences like this will be, to some extent, a matter of practice. Make sure to pay attention to the choices native speakers tend to make with different verbs!
How to describe other people’s desires in Japanese?
There are two main ways to express other people’s desires in Japanese:
Using ほしがる transcribed hoshigaru or 〜たがる transcribed -tagaru — the verbal forms of ほしい transcribed hoshii and 〜たい transcribed -tai.
By presenting someone else’s desire as a quote, hearsay, or as conjecture.
Let’s find out how each method works!
How to use ほしがる [hoshigaru] and 〜たがる [-tagaru]?
One way to express the desire of other people is to use ほしがる transcribed hoshigaru or 〜たがる transcribed -tagaru. These two expressions are formed by adding 〜がる transcribed garu to the “wanting” adjectives ほしい and 〜たい, which we saw above.
〜がる transcribed -garu is a “helping verb” that is often combined with emotion adjectives and means, “showing signs of”. Therefore, ほしがる transcribed hoshigaru and 〜たがる transcribed -tagaru mean “showing signs of wanting” or “showing signs of wanting to.”
| I want… | Someone else wants… |
|---|---|
ほしい Transcription: hoshii Translation: wanting | ほしがる Transcription: hoshigaru Translation: showing signs of wanting |
〜たい Transcription: -tai Translation: wanting to | 〜たがる Transcription: -tagaru Translation: showing signs of wanting to |
Just like their adjective versions, ほしがる transcribed hoshigaru is used after a noun while 〜たがる transcribed -tagaru is attached to the masu stem of a verb.
However, the sentence structure is a bit different!
When using ほしがる transcribed hoshigaru, the “wanter” is the subject, while the “wanted” is the direct object, marked with を transcribed o, just like in English.
When you use 〜たがる transcribed -tagaru, the “wanter” is the subject, and the direct object of the verb is always marked with を transcribed o. When you use this expression, you’ll never replace を transcribed o with が transcribed ga in these sentences.
As we can see from the examples above, the verb 〜がる transcribed -garu is conjugated in different forms. In its dictionary form, it is used for general truths (“cats want silvervine”). In its ta-form it can describe past, finished desires (“they wanted ice cream”).
In this same vein, when you want to describe what an individual person currently wants or has been wanting, you’ll need to use the ending 〜がっている transcribed -gatte iru, the 〜ている form of 〜がる transcribed -garu, instead.
You must use the te iru form to describe the desires of individuals. It’s not optional! If we remove the te iru endings from the sentences above, they are ungrammatical.
Wondering how we can talk about what our teachers or bosses want without offending them? Let’s find out in the next section!
How to present someone’s desire as a quote, hearsay, or conjecture?
Generally, the most polite way to describe what another person wants in Japanese is to present your statement as a quote, a hearsay, or a conjecture. Here’s how to do that!
As a quote
We often describe the desires of others by quoting them saying they wanted something. The most common way to do this is to frame the sentence with 〜と言っている transcribed -to itte iru, meaning “says that”.
You’ll most often use this before the plain form of ほしい transcribed hoshii or 〜たい transcribed -tai.
quote expressionジョンさんは日本に留学したいと言っています。Transcription: Jon san wa Nihon ni ryūgaku shitai to itte imasu.Translation: John says that he wants to go to Japan to study.If you are talking about what a superior wants, it’s a good idea to use the respectful version of the quote expression: 〜とおっしゃっている transcribed -to osshatte iru.
quote expression (respectful)鈴木先生はドイツ製の車がほしいとおっしゃっています。Transcription: Suzuki sensei wa Doitsu sei no kuruma ga hoshii to osshatte imasu.Translation: Professor Suzuki says that he wants a German-made car.Check out our post on reported speech in Japanese to learn other ways you can describe what someone told you!
As hearsay
Another more polite way to describe what someone else wants is to present it as something you’ve heard, generally. Most often, this means framing the sentence with the expression そうだ transcribed sō da, meaning “I’ve heard that…”
This expression is also preceded by the plain form of ほしい transcribed hoshii or 〜たい transcribed -tai.
hearsay expression洋子さんはクリスマスにブレスレットがほしいそうですよ。Transcription: Yōko san wa kurisumasu ni buresuretto ga hoshii sō desu yo.Translation: I’ve heard that Yoko wants a bracelet for Christmas.君はエベレストに登りたいそうだね。がんばりなさい。Transcription: Kimi wa Eberesuto ni noboritai sōda ne. Ganbarinasai.Translation: I’ve heard that you want to climb Mt. Everest. Good luck.To learn more about how to express “what you’ve heard” in Japanese, check out our post on Japanese hearsay expressions!
As conjecture
Finally, it’s possible to present your statement about someone else’s desire as a conjecture, saying that it seems like someone wants something, based on your own observations. There are a range of expressions you can use for this. For example, 〜ようだ transcribed -yō da or 〜そうだ transcribed -sō da.
〜ようだ transcribed -yō da is preceded by the plain form of ほしい transcribed hoshii or 〜たい transcribed -tai.
conjecture expression木下さんはどうも会社を辞めたいようですよ。Transcription: Kinoshita san wa dōmo kaisha o yametai yō desu yo.Translation: It seems that Ms. Kinoshita wants to leave the company, you know.You might say this if you saw that Ms. Kinoshita looks unhappy and is often browsing job sites during work.〜そうだ transcribed -sō da is preceded by ほしい transcribed hoshii or 〜たい transcribed -tai with the final い transcribed i removed.
hearsay expressionその犬は水がほしそうですよ。Transcription: Sono inu wa mizu ga hoshisō desu yo.Translation: The dog looks like she wants water.めいちゃん、何か食べたそうだね。Transcription: Mei chan, nanika tabetasōda ne.Translation: It seems that you want to eat something, Mei.
How to say that you want someone else to do something in Japanese?
When you want someone else to do something, you’ll generally use the te-form of the action you want them to do before either ほしい transcribed hoshii or もらいたい transcribed moraitai. The name of the person you want to do the action will be followed by the particle に transcribed ni.
Doer + に transcribed ni
Action
te-form
ほしい transcribed hoshii or
もらいたい transcribed moraitai
Let’s see when you should use each one!
〜てほしい [-te hoshii]
The ending 〜てほしい transcribed -te hoshii is composed of the te-form of a verb combined with the helping adjective ほしい transcribed hoshii, which we introduced above. You’ll use this ending if you (the speaker) want someone else to take some action. You can also use it to ask someone what they want someone to do.
Here is the structure to follow. Notice that ほしい transcribed hoshii can be conjugated as an i-adjective, just as we saw above!
Doer + に transcribed ni
Action
te-form
Notice that in the second example, the doer + に transcribed ni was left out! This is perfectly fine to do if you want the person you’re talking to to do something. You’ll usually also drop the “wisher,” since that should also be clear from context, but if you want to include it, use the structure wisher + は transcribed wa.
When the verb you want someone to do takes the direct object, it’s marked with を transcribed o and most often follows the “doer."
You can also use 〜てほしい when there is no “doer” because you simply want something to happen, like a natural phenomenon, or when you want something to be the case. The sentence structure looks the same, but the “doer” is simply left out.
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Negative forms of 〜てほしい [-te hoshii]
There are two ways to use ほしい to say that you don’t want someone to do something:
To say that you “don’t want someone to do something,” use the affirmative te-form along with the negative adjective ほしくない transcribed hoshikunai.
友達の悪口を言ってほしくない。Transcription: Tomodachi no waruguchi o itte hoshikunai.Translation: I don’t want you to speak ill of my friends.To say that you “want someone to not do something,” use the negative te-form, ending in 〜ないで transcribed -naide, before ほしい.
友達の悪口を言わないでほしい。Transcription: Tomodachi no waruguchi o iwanaide hoshii.Translation: I want you not to speak ill of my friends.
Wondering how you can convey your desire for your teachers or bosses to do something for you? Don’t worry, there is a way. Let’s check out our last section!
〜てもらいたい [-te moraitai]
We can also use 〜てもらいたい transcribed -te moraitai to say that you want someone to do something. When using this expression, you’ll also put the action you want someone to do in its te-form, but this time you’ll end the sentence with もらいたい transcribed moraitai. Similarly, this can either be used to state what you (the speaker) want someone to do or to ask what your listener wants someone to do.
It uses a similar sentence structure too!
Doer + に transcribed ni
(if not clear from context)
Direct object + を transcribed o
(if needed)
Action
te-form
And just like we saw with 〜てほしい transcribed -te hoshii, there are two ways to negate 〜てもらいたい transcribed -te moraitai:
〜てほしい [-te hoshii] vs. 〜てもらいたい [-te moraitai]
Though 〜てほしい and 〜てもらいたい are often used interchangeably, there are a couple major differences between the two:
If you want to say that you want something to just happen (without a “doer”), you can only use 〜てほしい transcribed -te hoshii.
雨が早くやんでほしい。Transcription: Ame ga hayaku yande hoshii.Translation: I want the rain to stop soon.❌ 早く雨がやんでもらいたい。Transcription: Hayaku ame ga yande moraitai.Translation: I want the rain to stop soon.You can use the humble form of もらいたい transcribed moraitai, to express that you’d like a superior to do something: 〜ていただきたい transcribed -te itadakitai
三戸先生に日本語を教えていただきたいです。Transcription: Mito sensei ni Nihongo o oshiete itadakitai desu.Translation: I would like Prof. Mito to teach me Japanese.If directly addressing a superior, as a polite request, then 〜ていただきたいのですが・・・ transcribed -te itadakitai no desu ga… sounds more natural and polite.
三戸先生に日本語を教えていただきたいのですが・・・。Transcription: Mito sensei ni Nihongo o oshiete itadakitai no desu ga….Translation: I would like you to teach me Japanese, Prof. Mito.
How to say what someone else would like something to do?
〜てほしい transcribed -te hoshii and 〜てもらいたい transcribed -te moraitai can both only be used to state what you want someone to do, or to ask what your listener wants something to do. If you want to make a statement about a third person’s desires, you’ll want to add 〜がる transcribed -garu to these expressions, just like we saw above!
You could also present it as a quote, as hearsay, or as conjecture as well!
To sum up
In this post, we went over the most common ways to say “want” or “want to” in Japanese. Here’s a quick table summarizing what we learned!
| Expression | Particles to remember |
|---|---|
ほしい Translation: want your desire | wanted thing + が |
〜たい Translation: want to (do something)… your desire | object of desired action + を (or が) |
ほしがる Translation: show signs of wanting someone else’s desire | wanter + は object of desired action + を (not が) |
〜たがる Translation: show signs of wanting to… someone else’s desire | wanter + は object of desired action + を (not が) |
〜てほしい Translation: want (someone) to… your desire | doer + に object of desired action + を |
〜てもらいたい Translation: want someone to… your desire | doer + に object of desired action + を |
Remember, also, that the most polite way to talk about someone else’s desires is to present it…
as a quote (“he says he wants…”)
as hearsay (“I’ve heard she wants…”)
as conjecture (“It seems like they want…”)
Ready to practice? Check out our exercises to practice saying “want” in Japanese! Happy learning!
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