A2 · Elemental Capítulo 5

Desires, Intentions, and Mannerisms

6 Reglas totales
65 ejemplos
5 min
Reglas en este capítulo Práctica rápida

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of expressing your deepest desires, future plans, and unique personal mannerisms in natural Japanese.

  • Describe exactly what you want to possess or do.
  • State your future intentions and tentative plans clearly.
  • Transform adjectives into adverbs to describe your actions precisely.
Speak your mind and move with style.

Lo que aprenderás

Alright, you've nailed the basics, awesome job! Now it's time to level up your Japanese and express yourself with more nuance, just like a native speaker. In this chapter, you'll learn how to say *you want something specific* (like that delicious sushi!), or *what you personally want to do* (maybe

I want to go to Tokyo
). Even cooler, you'll pick up how to tell *what someone else wants to do* just by observing their behavior – no mind-reading required, just keen observation! Then, we'll dive into making plans for the future! You'll learn how to confidently state *your firm intentions* (like
I plan to visit Japan next summer
) and also how to talk about *ideas you're just considering* (like "I'm thinking of joining a gym"). And to top it all off, you'll learn to add style to your sentences! You'll discover how to turn adjectives into adverbs, so you can describe *how you perform an action* – for example, I write quickly or She speaks beautifully. Imagine chatting with friends, wanting something at a store, planning your next adventure, or complimenting someone on how well they do something... it's all in this chapter! So get ready to learn tons of practical new skills that will make your Japanese conversations much smoother and more engaging.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Express personal desires and future intentions while describing actions using adverbs.

Guía del capítulo

Overview

Welcome to your next exciting step in Japanese grammar A2! You've mastered the foundational elements, and now it's time to add depth and personality to your conversations. This chapter is designed to help you express yourself with the nuance of a native speaker, covering everything from your deepest desires to your firmest intentions and even how you perform actions.
Mastering these structures will significantly boost your confidence and fluency. You'll learn to articulate what you want, what you plan to do, and even infer what others might want, making your interactions much richer. This is crucial for real-world communication, whether you're ordering food, making travel plans, or simply describing a scene.
Get ready to unlock new levels of expression in your Japanese language learning journey!

How This Grammar Works

This chapter introduces six powerful Japanese grammar patterns that enable you to express desires, intentions, and mannerisms.
First, to express a desire for an object, you use ～ほしい (hoshii). It attaches directly to a noun. For example, 「新しいパソコンがほしいです。」 (I want a new computer.)
When you want to express *your own* desire to perform an action, you use the ～たい (tai) form. This attaches to the stem of a verb. For instance, 「日本へ行きたいです。」 (I want to go to Japan.)
To express what *someone else* wants to do, based on observation, you use ～たがる (tagaru). This also attaches to the verb stem, but implies you're inferring their desire. For example, 「彼はラーメンを食べたがっています。」 (He seems to want to eat ramen.)
For future intentions, you have two key forms: ～つもり (tsumori) and Volitional + と思う (to omou). ～つもり expresses a firm plan: 「来年、留学するつもりです。」 (I plan to study abroad next year.) Volitional + と思う expresses a softer, more reflective intention, often like "I think I'll do X": 「週末は家で休もうと思います。」 (I think I'll rest at home on the weekend.)
Finally, you’ll learn to turn adjectives into adverbs to describe *how* an action is performed. For I-adjectives, you drop the final い (i) and add く (ku). For example, 速い (hayai) (fast) becomes 早く (hayaku) (quickly): 「彼は早く走ります。」 (He runs quickly.) For Na-adjectives, you simply add に (ni).
For instance, きれい (kirei) (beautiful) becomes きれいに (kirei ni) (beautifully/neatly): 「彼女はきれいに書きます。」 (She writes beautifully.) These forms are essential for adding detail and flair to your A2 Japanese sentences.

Common Mistakes

  1. 1✗ Wrong: 「水を飲みたいです。」 (I want to drink water.)
✓ Correct: 「水がほしいです。」 (I want water.) / 「水を飲みたいです。」 (I want to drink water.)
*Explanation:* 「～ほしい」 is for wanting objects. 「～たい」 is for wanting to *do* an action. While 「水を飲みたいです」 is correct for
I want to drink water,
if you simply want water (the object), you'd use 「水がほしいです。」 Don't use 「～たい」 with just a noun.
  1. 1✗ Wrong: 「彼は日本へ行きたいです。」 (He wants to go to Japan.)
✓ Correct: 「彼は日本へ行きたがっています。」 (He seems to want to go to Japan.)
*Explanation:* You can only use 「～たい」 to express *your own* desires. When talking about someone else's desires, you must use 「～たがる」, which implies you're observing their actions or expressions to infer their desire.
  1. 1✗ Wrong: 「ゆっくりに話します。」 (I speak slowly.)
✓ Correct: 「ゆっくり話します。」 (I speak slowly.)
*Explanation:* 「ゆっくり」 (slowly) is an adverb already. Not all descriptive words are adjectives that need conversion. For I-adjectives, it's ～く (e.g., 早く from 速い). For Na-adjectives, it's ～に (e.g., きれいに from きれい). Be careful not to add に to words that are already adverbs or I-adjectives.

Real Conversations

A

A

日本語をもっと勉強したいです。 (I want to study more Japanese.)
B

B

いいですね！来年、日本へ行くつもりですか？ (That's great! Do you plan to go to Japan next year?)
A

A

鈴木さんは新しいカメラがほしいと言っていましたよ。 (Suzuki-san said he wants a new camera.)
B

B

ああ、最近、いつもカメラのカタログを見ていますね。写真を撮りたがっていますよ。 (Ah, he's always looking at camera catalogs lately, isn't he? He seems to want to take photos.)
A

A

この漢字、もっときれいに書きたいです。 (I want to write this kanji more beautifully.)
B

B

大丈夫ですよ。ゆっくり練習すれば、すぐに上手になります。 (It's okay. If you practice slowly, you'll get good quickly.)

Quick FAQ

Q

Can I use ～たい to express a desire for an object?

No, ～たい is specifically for expressing your desire to *do* an action. For objects, use ～ほしい (hoshii).

Q

What's the main difference between ～つもり and Volitional + と思う?

～つもり expresses a firm, decided intention or plan. Volitional + と思う is softer, indicating a thought or a less concrete intention, often like "I think I'll do X."

Q

Is it rude to use ～たがる?

Not necessarily rude, but it implies you are observing someone's desire rather than knowing it directly. It's often used when talking *about* someone who isn't present, or when their desire is very obvious. Avoid using it directly to someone's face unless you're very confident in your observation.

Q

How do I form adverbs from adjectives like 簡単 (kantan) (easy)?

簡単 is a Na-adjective. To form an adverb, you simply add に (ni), so it becomes 簡単に (kantan ni) (easily). For example, 「簡単にできます。」 (I can do it easily.)

Cultural Context

In Japanese communication, expressing desires and intentions often involves a degree of politeness and indirectness. While ～たい is direct for your own desires, using ～たがる for others reflects the observational nature of Japanese social interaction – you infer rather than assume. Similarly, Volitional + と思う offers a softer way to state intentions, leaving room for flexibility, which can be seen as more polite than a rigid ～つもり.
Mastering these subtle distinctions helps you navigate social situations more smoothly, aligning with the cultural emphasis on harmony and consideration.

Ejemplos clave (8)

1

Nihon ni ikitai desu.

Quiero ir a Japón.

Expresar Deseo: "Quiero..." (～tai)
2

Kyou wa nani mo shitakunai.

Hoy no quiero hacer nada.

Expresar Deseo: "Quiero..." (～tai)
3

Kodomotachi wa soto de asobitagatte iru.

Los niños se mueren por jugar afuera.

Expresar deseos ajenos (～tagaru)
4

Kare wa sono hanashi o kikitagaranai.

Él no muestra ningún interés en escuchar esa historia.

Expresar deseos ajenos (～tagaru)
5

{早|はや}く{起|お}きました。

Me levanté temprano.

Adverbios de adjetivos-I en japonés (forma ～く)
6

{美味|おい}しく{食|た}べてね！

¡Come rico (disfruta la comida)!

Adverbios de adjetivos-I en japonés (forma ～く)
7

静かに話してください。

Por favor, habla en voz baja.

Adverbios de adjetivos Na en japonés: Hacer cosas con '-mente' (～に)
8

インスタの写真を綺麗に加工した。

Edité mi foto de Instagram bellamente.

Adverbios de adjetivos Na en japonés: Hacer cosas con '-mente' (～に)

Consejos y trucos (4)

🎯

El secreto de la partícula 'Ga'

Imagina que 'ga' señala el objeto que te provoca ese deseo: «パソコンが欲しい。»
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Expresar deseo por objetos: Querer algo (～ほしい)
🎯

Truco de adjetivo

Como 'tai' funciona como adjetivo, puedes describir cosas. Imagina que vas de compras: «{買|か}いたい{物|もの}があります。» (Tengo cosas que quiero comprar).
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Expresar Deseo: "Quiero..." (～tai)
⚠️

Zona de falta de respeto

Nunca uses tagaru con personas de mayor rango (jefes, maestros). Suena como si estuvieras analizando a un animal: «{先生|せんせい}が{話|はな}したがる。»
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Expresar deseos ajenos (～tagaru)
🎯

Suaviza tu tono

Incluso si estás 100% seguro, usar «~ようと思っています» suena más humilde y educado que declarar un plan tajante con «~つもりです» en una charla casual.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Intención futura: Planeo... (つもり / Volitiva + と思う)

Vocabulario clave (5)

欲しい (ほしい) want 食べる (たべる) to eat 行く (いく) to go 速い (はやい) fast 静か (しずか) quiet

Real-World Preview

map

Planning a Weekend

Review Summary

  • [Noun] + がほしい
  • [Verb stem] + たい
  • [Verb stem] + たがる
  • [Verb] + つもり
  • [i-adj] -> [stem] + く
  • [na-adj] + に

Errores comunes

With 'hoshii', you must use the particle 'ga' because it is an adjective, not a verb.

Wrong: 寿司(すし)をほしいです。
Correcto: 寿司(すし)がほしいです。

～たい is for your own desires. When talking about others, you must use ～たがる.

Wrong: 彼(かれ)は行きたいです。
Correcto: 彼(かれ)は行きたがっています。

To modify a verb, you must change the i-adjective to its 'ku' form.

Wrong: 速(はや)い話(はな)します。
Correcto: 速(はや)く話(はな)します。

Next Steps

You are doing amazing! Your ability to express nuance is growing every single day. Keep practicing!

Write a diary entry for tomorrow using future tense plans.

Continue to: The Art of Giving and Receiving

Práctica rápida (10)

Cambia el adjetivo a su forma adverbial.

{野菜|やさい}を ( {細|こま}かい ) ___ {切|き}ってください。

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: {細|こま}かく
Para convertir el adjetivo-I {細|こま}かい en adverbio, quitamos la い final y ponemos く.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Adverbios de adjetivos-I en japonés (forma ～く)

Completa el espacio para expresar deseo.

Quiero beber café. コーヒーを___。(nomu -> beber)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 飲みたい (nomitai)
Quitas el 'masu' (nomi-masu) y añades 'tai'. 'Nomu' se convierte en 'nomitai'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Expresar Deseo: "Quiero..." (～tai)

Encuentra el error en esta frase.

Find and fix the mistake:

{昨日|きのう}はいく{寝|ね}ました。

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: {昨日|きのう}はよく{寝|ね}ました。
El adjetivo 'ii' (bueno) es irregular y siempre se convierte en 'yoku', nunca en 'iku'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Adverbios de adjetivos-I en japonés (forma ～く)

Encuentra el error en la partícula.

{猫|ねこ}が{水|みず}**が**{飲|の}みたがっている。

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Cambia **가** por **を**
Aunque ～たい usa が, ～たがる transforma la expresión en un verbo transitivo, por lo que suele llevar la partícula de objeto を.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Expresar deseos ajenos (～tagaru)

Rellena el espacio para describir el deseo de la otra persona.

{彼|かれ}は日本に___がっている。(Él quiere ir)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: {行|い}き
Para formar tagaru, tomamos la raíz del verbo ({行|い}き) + たがる. En forma continua es {行|い}きたがっている.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Expresar deseos ajenos (～tagaru)

¿Qué frase es apropiada para hablar de tu jefe?

Selecciona la frase correcta:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: {社長|しゃちょう}は{寿司|すし}を{召|め}し{上|あ}がりたいそうです。
Usar ～たがっている para un superior es rudo porque suena a que lo observas como a un espécimen. La segunda opción usa lenguaje respetuoso (keigo).

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Expresar deseos ajenos (～tagaru)

Encuentra y corrige el error en la frase.

Find and fix the mistake:

彼は歌を上手な歌います。

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 彼は歌を上手に歌います。
'Jouzu' es un adjetivo-na. Para describir 'cantar' (utau), debes usar 'ni', no 'na'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Adverbios de adjetivos Na en japonés: Hacer cosas con '-mente' (～に)

¿Cuál frase dice correctamente 'Quería ir'?

Elige la forma correcta del pasado:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 行きたかった (ikitakatta)
Como 'tai' funciona como adjetivo-i, el pasado cambia la 'i' final por 'katta'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Expresar Deseo: "Quiero..." (～tai)

Encuentra el error en esta frase.

Find and fix the mistake:

Mi padre quiere dormir. {父|ちち}は{寝|ね}たいです。(Chichi wa netai desu.)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Cambiar 'netai' por 'netagatte imasu'
No puedes usar ～tai para una tercera persona (tu padre). Debes usar ～たがる (parecer querer).

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Expresar Deseo: "Quiero..." (～tai)

Completa el espacio con la forma adverbial correcta de {静か|しずか}.

図書館では、＿＿＿歩いてください。

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 静かに
Para convertir el adjetivo-na 'shizuka' en un adverbio que describa al verbo 'aruite' (caminar), reemplazamos 'na' por 'ni'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Adverbios de adjetivos Na en japonés: Hacer cosas con '-mente' (～に)

Score: /10

Preguntas frecuentes (6)

No, eso requiere la forma 'te + hoshii'. Aquí solo hablamos de objetos como: «新しい本が欲しい。»
En japonés, los estados de ánimo suelen ser adjetivos. Describe que algo es deseado: «水が欲しい。»
Normalmente no, porque no puedes sentir lo que otros sienten. Usa 'tagaru' para decir que 'parece' que quieren: «{彼|かれ}は{行|い}きたがっています。»
Tradicionalmente 'ga' marca el objeto del deseo, pero hoy en día 'wo' es muy común si enfatizas la acción: «{水|みず}を{飲|の}みたいです。»
Normalmente no. Decir «{私|わたし}は{行|い}きたがる» suena como si te estuvieras viendo a ti mismo desde fuera de tu cuerpo. Usa '～たい' para ti mismo.
¡La perspectiva! '～たい' es para sentimientos internos (tuyos). '～たがる' es para observaciones externas (de otros). «{食|た}べたい» vs «{食|た}べたがる».
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