When learning Japanese, you’ll often want to express your desires and hopes—whether it’s something you want to do or something you want someone else to do. Two common ways to do this are using 〜たい and 〜てほしい. Though both express a form of “want,” they are used differently. Let’s break it down!

1. Using 〜たい to Express Your Own Desires

The 〜たい form is used when talking about something you personally want to do. It attaches to the ます-stem of a verb and conjugates like an い-adjective.

Formation:

Verb (ます-stem) + たい

Examples:

日本にほんに行いきたいです。
(Nihon ni ikitai desu. – I want to go to Japan!)

新あたらしいカフェでコーヒーを飲のみたい。
(Atarashii kafe de kōhī o nomitai desu. – I want to drink coffee at a new café.)

週末しゅうまつ、映画えいがを見みたいです。
(Shūmatsu wa eiga o mitai desu. – I want to watch a movie this weekend.)

Notes:

• たい is used for first-person desires or when guessing someone else’s feelings based on observation.
• You can’t use it directly to talk about what someone else wants (e.g., 彼は旅行に行きたい says he wants to travel, which is incorrect unless he explicitly said it).
• Instead, use 〜たがっている to describe what someone else appears to want (e.g., 彼かれは旅行りょこうに行いきたがっています – He seems to want to travel).

2. Using 〜てほしい to Express What You Want Someone Else to Do

If you want someone else to do something, you use 〜てほしい instead of 〜たい.

Formation:

Person + に + Verb (て-form) + ほしい

Examples:

先生せんせいにゆっくり話はなしてほしいです。
(Sensei ni yukkuri hanashite hoshii desu. – I want the teacher to speak slowly.)

両親りょうしんに新あたらしい犬いぬを買かってほしいです。
(Ryōshin ni atarashii inu o katte hoshii desu. – I want my parents to buy a new dog.)

友達ともだちにもっと連絡れんらくしてほしいです。
(Tomodachi ni motto renraku shite hoshii desu. – I want my friend to contact me more often.)

Notes:

• 〜てほしい is used to express what you want someone else to do.
• If you want to express not wanting someone to do something, use 〜てほしくない.
  • Example: 遅刻ちこくしてほしくないです (Chikoku shite hoshikunai desu – I don’t want you to be late!)
• Be careful when using this with superiors—it can sound demanding! Instead, use a more polite phrase like 〜ていただけませんか (Could you please…?).

3. Comparing 〜たい and 〜てほしい

4. Practice Sentences!

Try filling in the blanks with 〜たい or 〜てほしい:

1. 夏休なつやすみに海うみに行いき________！ (I want to go to the beach in summer holiday.)
2. 彼かれにもっと運動うんどうして________。(I want him to ger more exercise.)
3. 新あたらしいスマホを買かい________。(I wan to buy a new smart phone.)
4. 先生せんせいに宿題しゅくだいを少すくなくして________。(I want my teacher to give me less homework.)
5. 友達ともだちと一緒いっしょに旅行りょこうに行いき________。(I want to go to travel with my friends.)

(Answers: 1. たい, 2. てほしい, 3. たい, 4. てほしい, 5. たい)

Conclusion

Both 〜たい and 〜てほしい are essential for expressing desires in Japanese, but they serve different purposes.

• Use 〜たい when talking about what you personally want to do.
• Use 〜てほしい when talking about what you want someone else to do.

Mastering these will help you express your thoughts naturally in Japanese!
Have any examples of your own? Share them in the comments!

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