Expressing Want in Japanese

Picture this: you’re in a Japanese convenience store and you want to ask for a bag. You try to say something, but suddenly you freeze — do you use ほしい or たい? And what if you want someone else to do something for you? Japanese has three distinct patterns for expressing want, and mixing them up is one of the most common mistakes English speakers make. This guide breaks all three down clearly so you can use them with confidence.

ほしい — “I Want (a Thing)”

ほしい (欲しい) is an i-adjective that means “to want” when the object of desire is a noun — a physical thing, an abstract thing, or a person. The particle that marks what you want is が.

Structure: [Noun] が ほしい

Because ほしい is an i-adjective, it conjugates exactly like adjectives such as 寒い (さむい, cold) or 大きい (おおきい, big).

More example sentences:

新しいパソコンがほしい。
I want a new computer.

時間（じかん）がほしかった。
I wanted more time.

何（なに）もほしくない。
I don’t want anything.

Yuka

誕生日に何がほしい？
What do you want for your birthday?

Rei

うーん、新しいゲームがほしいかな。
Hmm, I think I want a new game.

Important rule — ほしい is almost always first-person. In Japanese, it is considered presumptuous to directly state what someone else wants. Saying 彼はお金がほしい (He wants money) sounds blunt or presumptuous in many contexts. For third-person wants, see the section on ほしがっている below.

〜たい — “I Want to Do (an Action)”

〜たい attaches to the verb stem (also called the masu-stem) and expresses the speaker’s desire to perform an action. It is one of the most essential grammar patterns at JLPT N5.

Formation: Remove ます from the polite form, then add たい.

Examples: 食べます → 食べ + たい → 食べたい / 行きます → 行き + たい → 行きたい / 話します → 話し + たい → 話したい

Just like ほしい, 〜たい is an i-adjective and conjugates the same way.

More example sentences:

日本語（にほんご）で話したい。
I want to speak in Japanese.

もっと練習（れんしゅう）したかった。
I wanted to practice more.

今日（きょう）は何もしたくない。
I don’t want to do anything today.

早く日本に行きたいです。
I want to go to Japan soon.

Softer and more natural: 〜たいと思っています
In polite or formal situations, simply saying 〜たいです can sound slightly abrupt. A more natural and humble-sounding alternative is to add と思っています (to omou, to think/feel):

来年（らいねん）、日本へ留学（りゅうがく）したいと思っています。
I’m thinking that I’d like to study abroad in Japan next year.

This phrasing makes your desire sound like something you’re considering rather than a firm demand, which aligns better with Japanese communication style.

Indirect polite request: 〜たいんですが
When making a soft request — for example, at a shop or office — 〜たいんですが is extremely useful. The んですが adds a nuance of “the thing is, I’d like to…” and invites the listener to respond helpfully.

この商品（しょうひん）を交換（こうかん）したいんですが。
I’d like to exchange this item, if possible.

予約（よやく）を変更（へんこう）したいんですが。
I was hoping to change my reservation.

Yuka

すみません、このコートを試着（しちゃく）したいんですが。
Excuse me, I’d like to try on this coat, if possible.

Rei

もちろんです。こちらへどうぞ。
Of course. Right this way, please.

〜てほしい — “I Want Someone Else to Do Something”

〜てほしい is the pattern you need when you want another person to perform an action. It combines the て-form of a verb with ほしい.

Structure: [Person] に + [Verb て-form] + ほしい

Note on the て-form: To make the て-form, Group 1 (u-verbs) change their ending: く → いて, ぐ → いで, す → して, ぬ/ぶ/む → んで, る/つ/う → って. Group 2 (ru-verbs) simply drop る and add て. For example: 手伝う（てつだう）→ 手伝って / 来る（くる）→ 来て（きて）.

Polite alternative: 〜ていただけますか
〜てほしい is direct and can sound demanding if used with superiors or strangers. In formal situations, use 〜ていただけますか (could you please…) instead:

もう一度言っていただけますか。
Could you please say that one more time?

書類（しょるい）を確認（かくにん）していただけますか。
Could you please check the documents?

Yuka

田中（たなか）さん、このファイルを送（おく）ってほしいんですが。
Tanaka-san, I’d like you to send me this file, if you don’t mind.

Rei

わかりました。すぐに送ります。
Understood. I’ll send it right away.

Third-Person Wants: ほしがっている and たがっている

A key rule in Japanese: ほしい and 〜たい are normally first-person only. You can use them in direct questions to ask about the listener’s wants (second person is usually fine in questions), but saying someone else “wants” something requires a different form.

To describe what a third person wants, replace ほしい → ほしがっている and 〜たい → 〜たがっている. The がる suffix means “to show signs of” or “to seem to feel,” which is more indirect and observational — fitting the Japanese preference for not presuming to know another person’s inner state.

Notice that when ほしがる is used, the particle shifts from が to を, because ほしがる is a verb, not an adjective.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Using ほしい for an action

❌ 日本語を話すことがほしい。
✅ 日本語を話したい。
ほしい works with nouns. When you want to express an action-based desire, use 〜たい instead — do not try to turn the verb into a noun with こと.

Mistake 2: Using たい for an object

❌ 水がたい。
✅ 水がほしい。
〜たい attaches to a verb stem, not directly to a noun.

Mistake 3: Using ほしい or たい for third persons

❌ 彼はコーヒーがほしい。 (sounds like you know his inner feelings directly)
✅ 彼はコーヒーをほしがっている。 (observational — more natural)
Use ほしがっている / たがっている when talking about someone else’s wants.

Mistake 4: Forgetting に in 〜てほしい

❌ 彼女来てほしい。
✅ 彼女に来てほしい。
The person you want to do the action is marked with に.

Mistake 5: Using てほしい with a superior (too direct)

❌ 先生に説明してほしい。 (with a teacher — sounds demanding)
✅ 先生に説明していただけますか。 (polite, appropriate)
Use 〜ていただけますか with people of higher status.

Decision Flowchart: Which Pattern Do I Use?

Use the flowchart below to pick the right pattern quickly:

What do you want?
        |
        v
Is it a THING (noun)?
  YES → [Noun] が ほしい
         (e.g., 水がほしい — I want water)
         
  NO → Is it an ACTION?
         |
         v
       Are YOU the one doing the action?
         YES → [Verb stem] + たい
                (e.g., 食べたい — I want to eat)
                
         NO → Do you want SOMEONE ELSE to do it?
                YES → [Person] に [Verb て-form] + ほしい
                       (e.g., 彼に来てほしい — I want him to come)
                       
                       Are they a superior/stranger?
                         YES → Use 〜ていただけますか instead
                         NO  → てほしい is fine

Quick Quiz

Choose the correct pattern — ほしい, 〜たい, or 〜てほしい — for each sentence.

1. I want a new bicycle.
新しい自転車（じてんしゃ）が______。
Answer: ほしい → 新しい自転車がほしい。

2. I want to visit Kyoto someday.
いつか京都（きょうと）に______。
Answer: 〜たい → いつか京都に行きたい。

3. I want my friend to wait here.
友達（ともだち）に、ここで______。
Answer: 〜てほしい → 友達に、ここで待（ま）ってほしい。

4. She seems to want a pet cat.
彼女はペットの猫（ねこ）を______。
Answer: ほしがっている → 彼女はペットの猫をほしがっている。

5. I wanted to study more last night.
昨夜（さくや）、もっと勉強（べんきょう）______。
Answer: 〜たかった → 昨夜、もっと勉強したかった。

6. Could you please check this for me? (formal, to superior)
これを確認（かくにん）して______。
Answer: ていただけますか → これを確認していただけますか。

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