〜たい

〜たい expresses want to ~ — a pattern for communicating wants, intentions, and plans. Japanese has multiple expressions for desire and intent, each with different levels of certainty and social appropriateness.

This is a foundational pattern that you will use from day one of your Japanese studies.

Formation#

Attach たい to the ます-stem. Conjugates like an い-adjective: 食べたくない (don't want to), 食べたかった (wanted to).

When to Use#

• Expressing personal desire: 日本に行きたい (I want to go to Japan)
• Asking about desires: 何が食べたい？ (What do you want to eat?)
• Negative desire: もう会いたくない (I don't want to meet anymore)

When NOT to Use#

• When the meaning is closer to "want (thing)" — use 〜が欲しい instead
• In very formal writing where a more sophisticated expression would be expected

Example Sentences#

• 靴を買いたいです。 — I want to buy shoes.
• 少し休みたいです。 — I want to rest a little.
• 映画を見たいです。 — I want to watch a movie.

Practice#

Try reading these sentences aloud, then check the translation and vocabulary:

Common Mistakes#

1. Confusing 〜たい with 〜が欲しい — While both are related, 〜たい expresses "want to ~" whereas 〜が欲しい expresses "want (thing)." Pay attention to the specific nuance each pattern conveys.
2. Direct translation from English — The concept expressed by 〜たい may not map one-to-one with its English translation. Focus on understanding the Japanese usage through example sentences rather than relying on the English gloss.

Related Patterns#

• 〜が欲しい (want (thing)) — Compare
• 〜ましょう (let's ~) — Compare
• 〜つもり (intend to ~) — Next step
• 〜ようにする (try to / make sure to) — Next step