Express your desires using "hoshii" and "tai"! / Japanese Learning Support LLC
Try expressing your wishes by using "want" and "want to"!
Imagine this scene:
You spent a lot of money this month.
I don't have any more money.
What do you say in this situation?
"Oh, money !"
Let's think about it.
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We can say it like this.
"Oh, I want money!"
・I want N
"Want" expresses what you need or desire.
Let's look at some example sentences.
Sample1 I want a car.
Sample2 I'm busy, so I want a day off.
Sample 3 I'm thirsty, so I'd like some water.
Sample4 Raising children is hard work, so I want to have time for my hobbies.
The important thing to note is not to think of "want" as "want."
It has a similar meaning to the English word "want," but it is used completely differently.
"Hoshii" is used after a noun.
〇 I would like some water.
✖ I'd like some water.
(There is also the grammar "hoshii hoshii" (please do ~) after the verb, but this is intermediate level and we will not learn about it this time.)
In this way, using the form "I want..." expresses a desire to have or need that thing (noun).
Also, if you look at the sample above, you'll see that the subject "who" is not included.
The subject in all of the samples above is "I."
How is it that Japanese people know that it is "I" even when there is no subject?
The answer lies in the grammar rule for "want."
In the grammar "want" the subject is basically "I."
I would like some water.
✖ Tanaka-san wants some water.
As you can see, this grammar cannot be used with third parties, so be careful.
If you say the sentence, "Tanaka-san wants water," a Japanese person will think, "Huh? How can you know what Tanaka-san's inner desire is even though you're not Tanaka-san?"
If you want to say this sentence, you would say it like this:
〇 Tanaka said he wanted some water.
Tanaka wants some water.
Either way of saying it is fine.
It would take too long to explain this sentence pattern here, so I will talk about it in another blog.
So what if the subject is "you"?
✖ (You) want water.
This is the same thing, and it makes people wonder how they can understand "your" (other people's) feelings.
It would be strange in this situation to directly say to someone, "Please give me some water."
〇 Do you want water?
〇 (What do you want?)
If you have questions like this, there's no problem.
In other words, the word "want" expresses a desire for something, a heartfelt wish.
This is getting a little complicated.
Let's practice.
Mark the following sentences as correct with a circle and the following sentences as incorrect with an X.
The answer is at the bottom of this blog.
1. I want a new bag.
2. Mike wants a car.
3. Tanaka said he wanted a Japanese textbook.
4. I want to see this movie.
5.What do you want for your birthday?
・I want to V
So far, we have learned "I want N."
As I said earlier, the word before "want" is a noun.
But what if you want to add a verb to it?
That's right. Just add "～tai" to it.
Sample1 I want to drink a beer after work.
Sample2 I want to go to the park on my next day off.
Sample3 I want to go shopping tomorrow.
Sample4: I want to eat sushi sometimes.
It's the masu form of the verb, without the "masu" + "tai desu".
I will eat → I want to eat
Let's also pay attention to particles.
When using the verb "taberu", you normally use "wo", as in "taberu shimasu".
Now, take a look at the sample above.
Did you notice that there are many sentences that use "ga"?
In fact, "ga" is often used in sentences with "~tai."
However, it's not wrong to say, "I want to eat sushi."
And the rule we saw earlier about "hoshii" (want to be expressed to a third party) also applies to "tai desu."
〇 (I) want to read a book.
✖ Tanaka wants to read a book.
Tanaka said he wanted to read a book.
Tanaka wants to read books.
The same is true when the subject is "you."
✖ (You) want to study Japanese.
△ (Do you) want to drink water?
Of course, affirmative sentences sound unnatural, but even interrogative sentences that start with "~tai" can sound a little unnatural.
For example, when you go to a restaurant and ask your friend what to drink,
〇What would you like to drink?
〇 Do you want to drink? If so, I'll have a beer.
It seems natural to use this phrase in sentences that simply ask about the other person's wishes, such as:
But if your friends come over to your house and ask for a drink,
△What would you like to drink?
✖ Want some wine?
I don't use sentences like this very often.
It sounds rude, like you're talking to a child.
What is the difference between a restaurant and your own home?
It's the person who prepares the drinks.
In a restaurant, the staff prepares the drinks, but at your home, you naturally prepare the drinks.
This is the key point.
If you ask "Would you like to drink ~?" at your own home, it comes across as being a little rude, as it conveys the impression that you are listening to a friend's request or that you have gone out of your way to prepare something for them.
So in this case, I would say:
〇 Would you like some wine?
Also, be careful because you would never use "do you want to" when inviting someone or making a casual request, which in English can be expressed as "do you want to."
✖ Do you want to go to dinner with me today?
Would you like to go to dinner with me today?
✖ Do you want some salt over there?
〇 Could you pass me that salt please?
Now, let's try the final problem!
Mark the following sentences as correct with a circle and the following sentences as incorrect with an X.
The answer is at the bottom of this blog.
6. Hey, do you want to play tennis with me this Saturday?
7. I want to watch TV.
8. (You) want to eat curry.
9. Mr. Sato wants to study English.
10. Oh, do you need a little help?
11. I want to go on a trip with my family this coming holiday.
How was it?
Today we talked about "I want" and "I want to".
Let's all try it out today!
That's all for today!
See you in the next blog.
Answer to the question
1, 〇 2, ✖ 3, 〇 4, ✖ 5, 〇 6, ✖ 7, 〇 8, ✖ 9, ✖ 10, ✖ 11, 〇
