Expressing Desire: "I want to..." (～tai)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
To say 'I want to' in Japanese, remove the final 'u' from a verb and add 'tai'.
- Drop the 'u' from the dictionary form: {食べる|たべる} -> {食べ|たべ} + たい = {食べたい|たべたい}.
- It conjugates like an i-adjective: {食べたい|たべたい} (want to eat), {食べたくない|たべたくない} (don't want to eat).
- Use the particle 'ga' or 'o' to mark the object of your desire.
Overview
Japanese offers nuanced ways to express personal desire. The suffix ~tai (～たい) is fundamental for articulating your wish to perform an action, translating directly to "I want to [verb]." Unlike English, where "want" often acts as an independent verb followed by an infinitive, Japanese integrates this expression of desire directly into the action itself. This structural difference is key: attaching ~tai to a verb stem transforms that verb into an i-adjective (い形容詞).
This transformation is crucial because it dictates how sentences with ~tai are conjugated and used, mirroring the grammatical rules for adjectives like oishii (美味しい – delicious) or samui (寒い – cold). At its core, ~tai indicates a first-person, internal, and often emotional urge or longing to engage in an activity. It reflects a personal intention driven by feeling, distinguishing it from mere plans or obligations.
For instance, sushi o tabetai (寿司を食べたい – "I want to eat sushi") clearly frames the action of eating as the object of your desire, not just the sushi itself.
How This Grammar Works
~tai hinges on its morphological transformation of verbs into i-adjectives. When ~tai appends to a verb stem, the resulting construction sheds its verbal properties and behaves precisely like an i-adjective. This is not a superficial change; it profoundly impacts conjugation and modification possibilities.miru (見る – to see/watch) becomes mitai (見たい – want to see/watch). Just as oishii can be conjugated to oishikunai (美味しくない – not delicious) or oishikatta (美味しかった – was delicious), mitai follows an identical pattern: mitakunai (見たくない – don't want to see/watch) and mitakatta (見たかった – wanted to see/watch).~tai forms can directly modify nouns, similar to any other adjective. For instance, mitai eiga (見たい映画 – movie I want to see) literally translates to "see-desiring movie." You can also connect clauses using its ~te form, ~takute (～たくて), to express sequential actions or reasons, much like oishikute (美味しくて – being delicious, and...). This foundational understanding unlocks ~tai's versatility within Japanese grammar.~tai is primarily reserved for expressing your own desires. Japanese grammar inherently distinguishes between direct experience (your internal feelings) and inferred experience (others' feelings). Because you have direct access to your own internal state, you can confidently state watashi wa oyogitai (私は泳ぎたい – I want to swim).~tai for a third person, such as Kare wa oyogitai (彼は泳ぎたい – He wants to swim), sounds unnatural, even presumptuous, implying an unwarranted insight into their inner thoughts. For expressing others' desires, a different grammatical form, ~tagaru (～たがる), is employed.Formation Pattern
~tai is systematic and follows a clear pattern. You attach ~tai directly to the masu-stem (also known as the pre-masu form or conjunctive form) of a verb. The masu-stem is what remains after you remove ~masu from the polite non-past ~masu form of a verb.
iku 行く becomes ikimasu 行きます – to go).
~masu (e.g., iki 行き). This is the masu-stem.
~tai (e.g., ikitai 行きたい – want to go).
~tai (using taberu 食べる – to eat as an example):
~tai is attached, the entire construction conjugates precisely like an i-adjective.
tabetai | want to eat |
tabetai desu | want to eat (polite) |
tabetakunai | don't want to eat |
tabetakunai desu | don't want to eat (polite) |
tabetakatta | wanted to eat |
tabetakatta desu | wanted to eat (polite) |
tabetakunakatta | didn't want to eat |
tabetakunakatta desu| didn't want to eat (polite) |
~te form | 食べたくて | tabetakute | wanting to eat, and... |
tabetaku | want to eat (modifies verb) |
suru (する – to do) and kuru (来る – to come), adhere to the same masu-stem rule when forming ~tai.
suru: shimasu (します) → shi (し) → shitai (したい – want to do).
kuru: kimasu (来ます) → ki (来) → kitai (来たい – want to come).
~tai involves a direct object, you typically have a choice between the particles o (を) and ga (が).
o (を): Emphasizes the action of wanting to do something to the object. It highlights the verb's transitive nature. For example, Pītsa o tabetai. (ピザを食べたい。- I want to eat pizza.) focuses on the act of eating pizza.
ga (が): Emphasizes the object itself as the specific item you desire to act upon. It can imply a stronger, more immediate craving or highlight the object as the sole focus of desire. For example, Pītsa ga tabetai. (ピザが食べたい。- Pizza is what I want to eat.) emphasizes pizza as the thing you want. Both are often interchangeable in casual speech, but ga is almost always preferred for the object when the ~tai form is negative (~takunai). This shift in particle usage reflects the ~tai form's adjectival nature, where ga often marks the subject or object of desire/feeling for adjectives.
When To Use It
~tai when, as the speaker, you wish to articulate a personal, internal desire or aspiration to perform an action. This grammatical structure is versatile but carries specific implications regarding politeness, formality, and perspective.- 1. Expressing Your Own Immediate Desires and Needs: This is the most common and direct application. Use
~taito articulate what you want to do right now or in the near future. Kōhī ga nomitai desu.(コーヒーが飲みたいです。- I want to drink coffee.) – A polite statement of desire.Hayaku kaeritai.(早く帰りたい。- I want to go home quickly.) – A casual expression of a strong wish.
- 2. Stating Personal Goals and Aspirations:
~taiis also suitable for expressing long-term goals or general accomplishments you wish to achieve. This demonstrates personal ambition. Nihon de hatarakitai to omotte imasu.(日本で働きたいと思っています。- I'm thinking I want to work in Japan.) – Expressing an ongoing aspiration.Raigetsu, Kyōto ni ikitai desu.(来月、京都に行きたいです。- I want to go to Kyoto next month.) – A future goal.
- 3. Asking Casual Questions About Others' Desires (Close Relationships): While primarily first-person,
~taican be used in casual questions when addressing someone of equal or lower status, such as friends, family members, or juniors. This is acceptable because you are directly asking them to reveal their own internal desire, not presuming it. However, this usage is restricted contextually. Nani ga shitai?(何がしたい？- What do you want to do?) – Very casual, typical among friends.Issho ni eiga o mitai?(一緒に映画を観たい？- Do you want to watch a movie together?) – A casual invitation.- Crucial Caveat: Using
~taiin questions with superiors or strangers is generally too direct, potentially presumptuous, or even rude, as it interrogates their internal feelings. In such contexts, more indirect or formal expressions of invitation or inquiry (~masen ka{～ませんか},ikaga desu ka{いかがですか}) are preferred.
- 4. Modifying Nouns (Adjectival Usage): Because
~taitransforms into an i-adjective, it can directly precede and modify nouns, functioning identically to any other adjective. Nomitai dake nominasai.(飲みたいだけ飲みなさい。- Drink as much as you want.) – Here,nomitaimodifiesdake(amount).Kono aida yomitai hon ga mitsukatta.(この間読みたい本が見つかった。- I found the book I wanted to read the other day.) –yomitaimodifieshon(book).
- Adding
desu(です) to the~taiform makes it polite, suitable for general interactions:Tabetai desu.(食べたいです。). - Without
desu, the form is casual:Tabetai.(食べたい。). - For very strong or wistful desires, you can append particles like
na(な) ornā(なあ) to the casual form:Ikitai nā.(行きたいなあ。- Oh, I really want to go...). - The choice between
o(を) andga(が) for the object particle subtly shifts emphasis, as detailed in the Formation section.gais often chosen when the desire is particularly strong or focused on the item itself.
Common Mistakes
~tai. Mastering these distinctions is crucial for natural and accurate expression, allowing you to avoid common grammatical errors that can sound unnatural to native speakers.- 1. The "Third Person" Trap: Applying
~taito Others' Desires
~tai expresses the speaker's internal, firsthand desire. Japanese grammar maintains a clear boundary between one's own experiences and observed experiences of others. You cannot directly know another person's internal feelings or desires. Therefore, using ~tai for anyone other than yourself (or sometimes in direct casual questions to a close peer) is grammatically incorrect and sounds presumptuous, like claiming to read their mind.- Incorrect:
Kare wa kōhī o nomitai desu.(彼はコーヒーを飲みたいです。) – This implies you are privy to his internal desire, which is linguistically impossible in Japanese. - Correct:
Kare wa kōhī o nomitagatte imasu.(彼はコーヒーを飲みたがっています。- He seems to want to drink coffee.) - Explanation: For observing and stating others' desires, you must use
~tagaru(～たがる).~tagaruliterally means "to show signs of wanting" or "to act as if one wants," indicating an observation based on outward behavior or indirect information, rather than direct knowledge of their inner state. The suffix~garu(～がる) attaches to i-adjectives (including the~taiform's stem, e.g.,tabetai→tabetagaru) to express that someone appears to be feeling that way.
- 2. The "I Want You To Do" Trap: Confusing Your Desire with Wanting Someone Else to Act
~tai to mean "I want you to [verb]." Remember, ~tai always signifies that you, the speaker, want to perform the action. It never refers to wanting someone else to act.- Incorrect:
Kimi ni benkyō shitai.(君に勉強したい。) – This is grammatically nonsensical, as~tairefers to the speaker's desire to study for themselves, not wanting someone else to study. - Correct:
Kimi ni benkyō shite hoshii.(君に勉強してほしい。- I want you to study.) - Explanation: To express that you want someone else to perform an action, you need to use the
~te hoshii(～てほしい) pattern. This literally translates to "I want [thing/action] from you." It combines the~teform of the verb withhoshii(ほしい), an i-adjective meaning "desirable."
- 3. The "Noun" Trap: Using
~taifor Things Instead of Actions
~tai is exclusively used for desiring actions (verbs). You cannot attach ~tai directly to a noun to express wanting a thing. The grammatical function of ~tai is to modify a verb's stem.- Incorrect:
Neko tai.(猫たい。) – This is grammatically broken;~taicannot attach directly to a noun. - Correct:
Neko ga hoshii.(猫がほしい。- I want a cat.) - Explanation: To express wanting a noun (a thing), you must use the i-adjective
hoshii(ほしい – desirable). It typically takes the particlega(が) to mark the desired item, indicating that the noun itself is the object of your desire.
- 4. Incorrect Conjugation as a Verb:
~tai is attached to a verb stem, the resulting form functions as an i-adjective. Attempting to conjugate it using verb conjugation rules is a common and fundamental mistake. You must apply i-adjective conjugation rules for all subsequent modifications (negative, past, etc.).- Incorrect (mixing verb negation):
Tabeitai nai.(食べたいない。) - Correct (i-adjective negative):
Tabetakunai.(食べたくない。) - Incorrect (mixing polite verb past negative):
Tabetai masen deshita.(食べたいませんでした。) - Correct (i-adjective polite past negative):
Tabetakunakatta desu.(食べたくなかったです。) or simplyTabetakatta desu.(食べたかったです。) for polite past positive. Always remember that the~taiform is an i-adjective and should be conjugated as such.
Real Conversations
~tai is an integral part of daily Japanese, reflecting personal desires across various social contexts, from casual chats to polite requests. Observing its use in natural dialogue helps solidify understanding of its practical application.
1. Casual Conversation (Friends planning an outing):
- A: Kinyōbi no yoru, nani shitai? (金曜日の夜、何したい？- Friday night, what do you want to do?)
- B: Eiga mitai na. Nani ka omoshiroi no aru kana? (映画観たいな。何か面白いのあるかな？- I want to watch a movie. Is there anything interesting, I wonder?)
- A: Jā, ichiban atarashii horā eiga wa? Kimi, horā suki datta yo ne? (じゃあ、一番新しいホラー映画は？君、ホラー好きだったよね？- Then, how about the newest horror movie? You liked horror, right?)
- B: Uーん、 kyō wa soko made kowai no mitakunai kamo. (うーん、今日はそこまで怖いのは観たくないかも。- Hmm, today I might not want to watch something that scary.)
- Observation: This exchange demonstrates informal ~tai and ~takunai for direct and shared desires among friends. The na (な) particle adds a soft, reflective tone, common in casual expressions of desire or thought.
2. At a Restaurant (Ordering food politely):
- Customer: Sumimasen, ramen o tabetai n desu ga... osusume wa arimasu ka? (すみません、ラーメンを食べたいんですが…おすすめはありますか？- Excuse me, I want to eat ramen, but... do you have any recommendations?)
- Waiter: Hai, kochira no karamiiso ramen wa ikaga desu ka? Ichiban ninki desu yo. (はい、こちらの辛味噌ラーメンはいかがですか？一番人気ですよ。- Yes, how about this spicy miso ramen? It's our most popular.)
- Observation: ~tai n desu ga (～たいんですが) is a very common polite way to express a desire while gently leading into a question or request. The n desu ga (んですが) adds a sense of asking for advice or carefully stating a situation, making the approach softer and more deferential.
3. Workplace (Manager asking about a team member's preference):
- Manager: Kondo no purojekuto, Suzuki-san wa doko o tantō shitai desu ka? (今度のプロジェクト、鈴木さんはどこを担当したいですか？- For the next project, Suzuki-san, what part do you want to be in charge of?)
- Suzuki: Watashi wa atarashii gijutsu o tsukaitai no de, kaihatsu o kibo shimasu. (私は新しい技術を使いたいので、開発を希望します。- Since I want to use new technology, I hope for development.)
- Observation: While ~tai is primarily for the first person, a manager can use ~tai desu ka (～たいですか？) when directly inquiring about a subordinate's own desire, as they are asking the individual to articulate their internal state. Suzuki-san then uses ~tai to state her preference. The no de (ので) provides a reason for her choice, offering a natural flow.
4. Social Media (Comment on a travel photo):
- Commenter: Uwaa, kono keshiki meccha kirei! Watashi mo koko ni ikitai! (うわー、この景色めっちゃきれい！私もここに行きたい！- Wow, this scenery is super beautiful! I want to go here too!)
- Observation: ~tai is naturally suited for expressing immediate, emotional reactions and desires on social media platforms. Meccha (めっちゃ) serves as a very casual intensifier, commonly found in informal online contexts.
Quick FAQ
- Q: Can I use
~taito ask a stranger or superior what they want to do? - A: Generally, no. Using
~tai ka(～たいか) directly with a stranger or superior can sound overly familiar, direct, or even presumptuous. It implies you are probing their internal desires. Instead, opt for more indirect or humble expressions. For example, to politely ask "Would you like to go?" to a superior, you might useIkimasen ka?(行きませんか？- Won't you go? / Shall we go?), or other honorific forms likeOiki ni narimasu ka?(お行きになりますか？).
- Q: How do I express "I don't want to go anywhere"?
- A: You would say
Doko ni mo ikitakunai.(どこにも行きたくない。) The particleni mo(にも) combined withdoko(どこ – where) creates the meaning "not anywhere" or "nowhere." The~kunaiform is the standard negative conjugation for i-adjectives.
- Q: What's the difference between
~taiand~tsumori(つもり)? - A:
~taiexpresses a desire or wish ("I want to..."), stemming from an internal feeling.~tsumori(つもり) expresses a plan or intention ("I intend to..." / "I plan to..."), indicating a more concrete, decided course of action. Eiga o mitai.(映画を観たい。- I want to watch a movie.) – A desire.Eiga o miru tsumori desu.(映画を観るつもりです。- I plan to watch a movie.) – A concrete intention.
~tsumori implies a more resolute and less emotional state than ~tai.- Q: Can
~taibe used for hypothetical desires, like "If I were rich, I'd want to travel"? - A: Yes, absolutely. You can combine
~taiwith conditional forms to express hypothetical desires. For example:Okane ga attara, sekai o ryokō shitai.(お金があったら、世界を旅行したい。- If I had money, I'd want to travel the world.) This demonstrates the flexibility of~taibeyond immediate desires.
- Q: Is there a polite form for "I don't want to..."?
- A: Yes. Just like any other i-adjective, you add
desu(です) to the negative form:~takunai desu(～たくないです). For example,Tabetakunai desu.(食べたくないです。- I don't want to eat.) This is a polite refusal. For an even softer refusal, especially in social contexts, you might addchotto(ちょっと – a little bit), likeChotto tabetakunai desu.(ちょっと食べたくないです。- I don't really want to eat.).
- Q: What about the particles
o(を) andga(が) when~taiis negative? - A: When
~taiis in its negative form (~takunai), the particlega(が) is almost always preferred for marking the object. This is a strong tendency in Japanese, often reflecting the adjectival nature of the~taiform. Whileo(を) can technically be used,gais significantly more natural and common in negative desire statements, emphasizing that the object itself is not desired to be acted upon. Kōhī ga nomitakunai.(コーヒーが飲みたくない。- I don't want to drink coffee.)
Tai-form Conjugation
| Form | Japanese | English |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
{食べたい|たべたい}
|
Want to eat
|
|
Negative
|
{食べたくない|たべたくない}
|
Don't want to eat
|
|
Past
|
{食べたかった|たべたかった}
|
Wanted to eat
|
|
Past Negative
|
{食べたくなかた|たべたくなかった}
|
Didn't want to eat
|
|
Polite
|
{食べたいです|たべたいです}
|
Want to eat (polite)
|
|
Casual
|
{食べたい|たべたい}
|
Want to eat (casual)
|
Meanings
The desiderative form expresses the speaker's desire to perform an action. It is used to state personal wishes or ask about someone else's.
Personal Desire
Expressing what the speaker wants to do.
“{水|みず}を{飲みたい|のみたい}です。”
“{本|ほん}を{読みたい|よみたい}です。”
Asking Desire
Asking what someone else wants to do.
“{何|なに}を{食べたい|たべたい}ですか？”
“{どこ|どこ}へ{行きたい|いきたい}ですか？”
Negative Desire
Expressing that one does not want to do something.
“{勉強|べんきょう}したくないです。”
“{帰りたくない|かえりたくない}です。”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Stem + tai
|
{行きたい|いきたい}
|
|
Negative
|
Stem + takunai
|
{行きたくない|いきたくない}
|
|
Past
|
Stem + takatta
|
{行きたかった|いきたかった}
|
|
Question
|
Stem + tai + ka
|
{行きたいですか？|いきたいですか？}
|
|
Polite
|
Stem + tai + desu
|
{行きたいです|いきたいです}
|
|
Casual
|
Stem + tai
|
{行きたい|いきたい}
|
Formality Spectrum
{行きたい|いきたい}です。 (Travel plans)
{行きたい|いきたい}。 (Travel plans)
{行きたい|いきたい}！ (Travel plans)
{行きてー|いきてー}！ (Travel plans)
Desire Map
Actions
- {食べる|たべる} Eat
- {行く|いく} Go
Feelings
- {会いたい|あいたい} Want to meet
- {休みたい|やすみたい} Want to rest
Examples by Level
{寝たい|ねたい}です。
I want to sleep.
{行きたい|いきたい}です。
I want to go.
{食べたい|たべたい}です。
I want to eat.
{見たい|みたい}です。
I want to see.
{何|なに}を{したい|したい}ですか？
What do you want to do?
{勉強|べんきょう}したくないです。
I don't want to study.
{日本|にほん}へ{行きたかった|いきたかった}です。
I wanted to go to Japan.
{誰|だれ}と{話したい|はなしたい}ですか？
Who do you want to talk to?
{明日|あした}は{ゆっくり|ゆっくり}休みたいです。
I want to rest slowly tomorrow.
{彼|かれ}は{新しい|あたらしい}車を{買いたい|かいたい}そうです。
I heard he wants to buy a new car.
{もっと|もっと}日本語を{話せる|はなせる}ようになりたいです。
I want to become able to speak more Japanese.
{そんなに|そんなに}高いものは{買いたくない|かいたくない}です。
I don't want to buy something that expensive.
{本当|ほんとう}に{成功|せいこう}したいのであれば、{努力|どりょく}が{必要|ひつよう}です。
If you really want to succeed, effort is necessary.
{誰|だれ}もが{平和|へいわ}に{暮らしたい|くらしたい}と{願って|ねがって}います。
Everyone wishes to live in peace.
{自分|じぶん}の{意見|いけん}を{はっきり|はっきり}言いたいのですが、{勇気|ゆうき}がありません。
I want to state my opinion clearly, but I lack the courage.
{この|この}プロジェクトを{最後まで|さいごまで}やり遂げたいです。
I want to see this project through to the end.
{彼|かれ}の{考え|かんがえ}を{理解|りかい}したいと{強く|つよく}思っています。
I strongly desire to understand his way of thinking.
{一度|いちど}でいいから、{宇宙|うちゅう}へ{行ってみたい|いってみたい}です。
I want to try going to space, even if just once.
{現状|げんじょう}を{変えたい|かえたい}という{強い|つよい}意志を{感じます|かんじます}。
I feel a strong will to change the current situation.
{何|なに}も{したくない|したくない}という{日|ひ}も{あって|あって}いいはずです。
There should be days where it's okay to not want to do anything.
{古文|こぶん}を{読み解きたい|よみときたい}という{探究心|たんきゅうしん}が{止まりません|とまりません}。
My curiosity to decipher classical Japanese is unstoppable.
{彼|かれ}の{沈黙|ちんもく}からは、{何か|なにか}を{語りたがっている|かたりたがっている}ような{雰囲気|ふんいき}が{漂って|ただよって}います。
From his silence, there is an atmosphere that suggests he wants to say something.
{時代|じだい}の{変化|へんか}に{抗いたい|あらがいたい}という{感情|かんじょう}は、{人間|にんげん}の{本能|ほんのう}かもしれません。
The feeling of wanting to resist the changes of the times might be a human instinct.
{誰|だれ}もが{自分|じぶん}らしく{生きたい|いきたい}と{願う|ねがう}のは{当然|とうぜん}のことです。
It is natural that everyone wishes to live in their own way.
Easily Confused
Both mean 'want', but one is for verbs and one for nouns.
Both express desire, but 'tai' is for the speaker.
Both involve 'tai', but 'te-hoshii' means 'I want YOU to do'.
Common Mistakes
{飲むたい|のむたい}
{飲みたい|のみたい}
{水|みず}を{たい|たい}
{水|みず}を{飲みたい|のみたい}
{食べたい|たべたい}です。
{食べたい|たべたい}です。
{行く|いく}たい
{行きたい|いきたい}
{彼|かれ}は{行きたい|いきたい}です。
{彼|かれ}は{行きたがっています|いきたがっています}
{寿司|すし}が{食べたい|たべたい}です。
{寿司|すし}を{食べたい|たべたい}です。
{食べたい|たべたい}ない
{食べたくない|たべたくない}
{行きたい|いきたい}でした
{行きたかった|いきたかった}
{食べたい|たべたい}だろう
{食べたがる|たべたがる}だろう
{行きたい|いきたい}こと
{行きたい|いきたい}もの
Sentence Patterns
___を{食べたい|たべたい}です。
___へ{行きたい|いきたい}です。
{今日|きょう}は___を{したい|したい}です。
{将来|しょうらい}、___に{なりたい|なりたい}です。
Real World Usage
{ピザ|ぴざ}を{食べたい|たべたい}です。
{映画|えいが}見たい！
{京都|きょうと}へ{行きたい|いきたい}。
{御社|おんしゃ}で{働きたい|はたらきたい}です。
{旅行|りょこう}したい〜
{今すぐ|いますぐ}{食べたい|たべたい}！
Particle Choice
Third Person
Casual Speech
Softening
Smart Tips
Use 'ga' instead of 'o' to emphasize your desire.
Drop 'desu' to sound friendly.
Use 'shitai' (want to do) with a noun.
Add 'kedo' to soften the sentence.
Pronunciation
Tai
Pronounced as 'tie'.
Question
{行きたい|いきたい}ですか↑
Rising intonation for questions.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'Tai' as 'Tie'. You want to 'tie' the action to yourself.
Visual Association
Imagine yourself holding a rope (the verb) and tying it to your heart (the desire).
Rhyme
Drop the U, add the TAI, tell the world what you want to try!
Story
Ken is hungry. He sees a burger. He drops the 'u' from 'taberu' and adds 'tai'. He shouts, 'Tabetai!' and gets his burger.
Word Web
Challenge
Write down 3 things you want to do today using the 'tai' form.
Cultural Notes
Expressing desire directly can be seen as blunt. Often softened with 'ga' or 'kedo'.
The 'tai' form comes from the classical Japanese desiderative suffix '-tashi'.
Conversation Starters
{今日|きょう}、{何|なに}を{食べたい|たべたい}ですか？
{週末|しゅうまつ}、{何|なに}を{したい|したい}ですか？
{日本|にほん}で{何|なに}を{してみたい|してみたい}ですか？
{将来|しょうらい}、{何|なに}に{なりたい|なりたい}ですか？
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
{水|みず}を___です。
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
{彼|かれ}は{寿司|すし}を{食べたい|たべたい}です。
{行きたい|いきたい}です。
{食べたい|たべたい} / {寿司|すし} / {を} / {です}
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
{寝たい|ねたい} -> ?
A: {何|なに}を{したい|したい}？ B: ___
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercises{水|みず}を___です。
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
{彼|かれ}は{寿司|すし}を{食べたい|たべたい}です。
{行きたい|いきたい}です。
{食べたい|たべたい} / {寿司|すし} / {を} / {です}
{飲む|のむ} -> ?
{寝たい|ねたい} -> ?
A: {何|なに}を{したい|したい}？ B: ___
Score: /8
Practice Bank
10 exercisesあの{映画|えいが}を___。(miru)
{勉強|べんきょう}___。
水___飲みたい。(I want water specifically)
寿司 / 食べた / が / かった
I want you to go. 私はあなたに行きたい。(Watashi wa anata ni ikitai)
Match correctly.
ねえ、{何|なに}___？ (Hey, what do you want to do?)
I didn't want to buy it.
I wanted to sleep so I went home. {寝|ね}___、{帰|かえ}りました。
{有名|ゆうめい}に___。
Score: /10
FAQ (8)
Generally no. Use 'tagaru' for third parties.
Both are fine. 'Ga' emphasizes the object.
Change 'tai' to 'takatta'.
No, use 'hoshii' for nouns.
Add 'desu' to make it polite.
Because it ends in 'i' and conjugates like one.
Use 'takunai'.
Yes, with 'desu'.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Querer + infinitive
Japanese conjugates the verb; Spanish conjugates the auxiliary.
Vouloir + infinitive
Japanese is agglutinative.
Wollen
Japanese uses a suffix.
想 (xiǎng)
Japanese is suffix-based.
أريد أن (urid an)
Japanese is verb-final.
Want to + verb
Japanese is a single word.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Related Grammar Rules
The Extreme Emphasis Pattern: ~極まる / ~極まりない (Kiwamaru / Kiwamarinai)
Overview At the advanced stages of Japanese, expressing simple intensity with words like `とても` (totemo) or `非常に`...
Uncontrollable Feelings: ~てならない (~te naranai)
Overview Japanese grammar provides a rich toolkit for expressing internal states, and `~てならない` (`~te naranai`) is...
Before Doing X (Mae ni)
Overview In Japanese, establishing a clear sequence of events is fundamental to communication. The grammatical pattern...
Literary Similes: Like & As If (~gotoku / ~gotoki)
Overview Japanese offers several ways to express similes, but few carry the profound literary weight and stylistic versa...
I'm Certain! (~ni chigai nai)
Overview When you encounter a situation in Japanese where you feel a strong, logically derived certainty about somethin...
