Using ～たい and ～たがる to Express Wants

When learning Japanese, expressing what you want to do or what someone else wants to do is very useful in daily conversation. Two key grammar patterns for this are ～たい and ～たがる. While they may look similar, they are used differently depending on who is doing the wanting!

Let’s break it down.

💬 1. ～たい (Want to do…)

Used for talking about what you or someone very close to you wants to do.
It attaches to the ます-stem of a verb.

✅ How to use:

Verb (ます-form without ます) + たい

Verb (Dictionary Form)	ます-form	～たい form	Meaning
たべる (to eat)	たべます	たべたい	want to eat
いく (to go)	いきます	いきたい	want to go
みる (to see/watch)	みます	みたい	want to see/watch

🗣️ Example sentences:

ラーメンを食たべたいです。
I want to eat ramen.
日本にほんに行いきたい。
I want to go to Japan.
この映画えいがを見みたいな。
I want to watch this movie.

📝 Note: You can also use ～たい with close friends or family, especially if you’re quite sure of their feelings.

💬 2. ～たがる (They want to do…)

Used to describe what someone else seems to want to do.
This is used when you observe or guess someone else’s feelings.

✅ How to use:

Verb (ます-stem) + たがる
Usually used with third person subjects + が or は.

Verb (Dictionary Form)	～たがる Form	Meaning
たべる (to eat)	たべたがる	He/She wants to eat
いく (to go)	いきたがる	He/She wants to go
みる (to see/watch)	みたがる	He/She wants to watch

🗣️ Example sentences:

子こどもがケーキを食たべたがっています。
The child wants to eat cake (is showing signs of wanting it).
彼かれはその映画えいがを見みたがっている。
He wants to see that movie.
みんな、外そとに行いきたがっているね。
Everyone seems to want to go outside.

📝 たがる is usually used in the third person, and often in the present progressive form: たがっている.

⚠️ Key Differences

～たい	～たがる
Used for “I” or “you” (close)	Used for “he/she/they”
Direct expression of desire	Observed or inferred desire
Casual and direct	Slightly more objective and descriptive

👀 Bonus Tip: Negative Forms

～たくない → don’t want to do
- 勉強べんきょうしたくない。I don’t want to study.
～たがらない → they don’t want to do (show no interest)
- 彼かれは話はなしたがらない。He doesn’t want to talk.

📝 Summary

Who wants to do it?	Use	Example
I / We	～たい	ピザが食たべたい。
He / She / They	～たがる	彼女かのじょはピザを食たべたがっている。

Want to practice? Try making your own sentence with ～たい and ～たがる! ✍️
How would you say:

“I want to learn Japanese.”
“My friend wants to visit Japan.”

Let us know in the comments! 😊

If you want to learn Japanese, improve your skills, or connect with native speakers and other learners, we can help. We offer one-on-one lessons, a supportive community, and on demand courses.

Website: nihongonana.com
Email: support@nihongonana.com

✅Book 1-on-1 lessons: https://nihongonana.com/lessons/
✅Join our Speaking Club: https://nihongonana.com/community/
✅Join our Course Waitlist: https://nihongonana.com/courses/