⚖️ たい vs. が ほしい
English uses “want” in both patterns. Japanese chooses a different expression.
Coco-sensei
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Compare “I want to drink water” with “I want water.” The English verb stays the same. In Japanese, decide whether you are expressing a wish to do something or a wish for a thing.
たい:
an action
ほしい:
a thing
映画 が 見たい
I want to watch a movie.
新しい 車 が ほしい
I want a new car.
コーヒー が 飲みたい
I want to drink coffee.
お金 が ほしい
I want money.
Which should I use?
- たい: attach it to the verb’s ます stem.Do I want to do something?
- がDo I want a thing?ほしい: put the noun before が.
Look at the Japanese structure, not just the word “want”: a verb stem takes たい, while a noun can take が ほしい. Both endings change like i-adjectives: たくない / ほしくない, and たかった / ほしかった.
Examples
映画 が 見たい です。
I want to watch a movie.
新しい 車 が ほしい です。
I want a new car.
日本語 が 話したい です。
I want to speak Japanese.