KANAKUMA

JLPT N5 · Wishes, plans, and choices

〜たい

Expresses a wish to perform an action

Meaning

Expresses the speaker's desire; a question can ask about the listener's desire.

Formation

  1. Remove ます: 行きます → 行き + たいです.
  2. する → したい; 来る → 来たい（きたい）.
  3. It conjugates like an i-adjective: たくない, たかった.

When to use it

Personal desire
The speaker says what they themselves want to do.
Question
With か or rising intonation, it asks what the listener wants.

Examples

20 sentences

  • 日本にほんへ行きいきたいです

    I want to go to Japan.

  • 寿司すしを食べたべたいです

    I want to eat sushi.

  • 新しいあたらしい服ふくを買いかいたいです

    I want to buy new clothes.

  • 今日きょうは早くはやく帰りかえりたいです

    I want to go home early today.

  • 友だちともだちと映画えいがを見みたいです

    I want to watch a movie with my friend.

  • 週末しゅうまつは海うみで泳ぎおよぎたいです

    I want to swim in the sea this weekend.

  • 日本語にほんごをもっと勉強べんきょうしたいです

    I want to study Japanese more.

  • 明日あしたはたくさん寝ねたいです

    I want to sleep a lot tomorrow.

12 more examples

  • 写真しゃしんをたくさん撮りとりたいです

    I want to take many pictures.

  • 母ははに手紙てがみを書きかきたいです

    I want to write a letter to my mother.

  • 小さなちいさな荷物にもつを運びはこびたいです

    I want to carry the small luggage.

  • 青いあおい封筒ふうとうを選びえらびたいです

    I want to choose a blue envelope.

  • 古いふるい雑誌ざっしを捨てすてたいです

    I want to throw away the old magazines.

  • 台所だいどころの窓まどを開けあけたいです

    I want to open the kitchen window.

  • 旅行りょこうの写真しゃしんを見みたいです

    I want to look at the travel photos.

  • 短いみじかい手紙てがみを書きかきたいです

    I want to write a short letter.

  • 友達ともだちの話はなしを聞きききたいです

    I want to listen to my friend's story.

  • 駅えきの名前なまえを覚えおぼえたいです

    I want to memorize the station name.

  • 家いえの鍵かぎを探しさがしたいです

    I want to look for the house key.

  • 晩ご飯ばんごはんの準備じゅんびをしたいです

    I want to prepare dinner.

Important notes

  • A third person's inner desire is not normally stated directly; 〜たがっている is learned later for that purpose.
  • The object usually takes を, but が is also possible: 水が飲みたい.

Common mistakes

  • Do not attach たい to the dictionary form: 行くたい is wrong; use 行きたい.

Check yourself

Pick the translation of each sentence. The wrong options translate similar patterns, so watch the grammar rather than the words.

  1. 写真しゃしんをたくさん撮りとりたいです
  2. 旅行りょこうの写真しゃしんを見みたいです
  3. 晩ご飯ばんごはんの準備じゅんびをしたいです

Similar grammar

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