How to Say "I Want" in Japanese: Desiring Objects (Hoshii)
Hello and welcome to the adventures of Phase 3! From this moment, the most exciting part of our journey begins.
In Phase 2, you learned to ask the world questions, and now you will start to express your "will" with words and actively interact with other people. The first step is to clearly state what you "want". Master this expression and start moving the real world with your words!
🎯 Lesson Goal
Learn to specifically state the things you want using the phrase
「〜が欲しいです」 (~ ga hoshii desu)!
Step 1 Discover
Let's look at how this is used in a real conversation. Yumi and Ken are talking about what they want right now.
今、一番何が欲しいですか？
(Ima, ichiban nani ga hoshii desu ka?)
そうですね…休暇が欲しいです。
(Sou desu ne... kyuuka ga hoshii desu.)
何か飲み物が欲しいですか？
(Nani ka nomimono ga hoshii desu ka?)
はい、冷たい水が欲しいです。
(Hai, tsumetai mizu ga hoshii desu.)
Did you notice?
The particle "が (ga)" is always placed right after the thing they want (e.g., 休暇, 飲み物, 水). We will explain how this works in Step 2!
Step 2 The Pattern
Here is the most powerful and useful chunk for expressing what you want.
Basic Chunk
私は が 欲しいです。
(Watashi wa ga hoshii desu.)
🔑 Key Point 1: "欲しい" is about your feelings
"欲しい (hoshii)" belongs to the "i-adjective" group and expresses your feeling of "wanting" something. Therefore, it is mainly used when you talk about your own desires, as in the phrase "私は〜が欲しいです" (I want ~).
🌟 Key Point 2: The particle "が" indicates the object
Just as with "好きです" (to like) from Lesson 9, the role of the particle "が" is to show "what exactly" your feeling of "wanting" is directed at. Memorize "〇〇が欲しいです" as a set phrase.
Step 3 Pattern Practice
Keep the chunk exactly the same, but swap the words in the blank. Read these out loud!
-
Task 1 I want a new bag.
新しいカバン が欲しいです。
(Atarashii kaban ga hoshii desu.)
-
Task 2 I want a vacation.
休暇 が欲しいです。
(Kyuuka ga hoshii desu.)
-
Task 3 I want a cat.
猫 が欲しいです。
(Neko ga hoshii desu.)
Step 4 Make It Yours!
This is the most important step! What do you really want right now? Say it honestly and out loud. Pick words from the Cheat Sheet below.
👉 私は YOUR INFO が 欲しいです。
Vocabulary Cheat Sheet
Things (物)
- かばん kaban (bag)
- くつ kutsu (shoes)
- くるま kuruma (car)
- パソコン pasokon (computer)
- スマホ sumaho (smartphone)
- カメラ kamera (camera)
- ほん hon (book)
Abstract & Other (抽象的なもの・その他)
- じかん jikan (time)
- おかね okane (money)
- ともだち tomodachi (friend)
- きゅうか kyuuka (vacation)
- ねこ neko (cat)
- いぬ inu (dog)
- コーヒー ko-hi- (coffee)
Bonus Go Beyond the Basics
In real life, you'll also need to say "I DON'T want..." and speak casually with friends. Since 欲しい is ani-adjective, it conjugates just like other adjectives you've learned. Here’s a quick guide!
🙅♀️ 1. I don't want... (Negative)
車が 欲しくないです。
(Kuruma ga hoshikunai desu.)
車が 欲しくない。
(Kuruma ga hoshikunai.)
🤝 2. Friendly & Casual
車が 欲しい。
(Kuruma ga hoshii.)
車が 欲しいな。
(Kuruma ga hoshii na.)
Summary Lesson Review
Wanting Things: Use 〜が欲しいです (~ ga hoshii desu) to state the items or concepts you want.
The Particle "が": Just like expressing likes/dislikes, use the particle 「が」(ga) to indicate the exact object of your desire.
Negative Form: "Hoshii" conjugates like an i-adjective. Say 欲しくないです (hoshikunai desu) when you don't want something.
Practice Drill
Explanation