Skip to content
Kotomora
JLPT N4EverydayHopes

といいI hope

In everyday Japanese "I hope" is not a verb. People say といい, "it would be good if…", and the ending usually shows whose hope it is.

a hope you share

明日あした、晴はれるといいね。

I hope it's sunny tomorrow.

for the other person

この薬くすりで痛いたみが軽かるくなるといいですね。

I hope this medicine eases the pain.

for yourself

電でん車しゃに間まに合あうといいんですが。

I hope I make the train.

How to form it

Plain form (not past) + といい + ね／な／んですが

晴はれるといい, 安やすいといい. Hoping something won't happen: 降ふらないといい.

Noun, な-adjective

Noun／な-adjective + だ + といい

休やすみだといい, 静しずかだといい.

ね, な or んですが?

EndingWhose hope, mostlyHow it sounds
といいね・といいですねThe other person's, or one you shareWarm: "I hope it goes well for you"
といいな・といいなあYour ownThinking aloud
といいんだけど・といいんですがYour ownHoping, and a little worried

In conversation one of these usually follows. Bare といい is mostly written.

A

明日あしたの試し験けん、うまくいくといいんですが。

I hope tomorrow's exam goes well.

B

そうですね。うまくいくといいですね。

Yes. I hope it goes well for you.

It is A's exam, so A says んですが and B says ですね. From A, ですね can sound as if the exam were someone else's.

Hoping for someone, or together

早はやくよくなるといいですね。

I hope you get better soon.

次つぎの先せん生せいが親しん切せつな人ひとだといいね。

Let's hope the next teacher is a kind person.

A

明日あしたは晴はれるそうですよ。

They say it will be sunny tomorrow.

B

そうだといいですね。

I hope so.

Hoping for yourself

旅りょ行こう中ちゅう、雨あめが降ふらないといいな。

I hope it doesn't rain during the trip.

今年ことしの冬ふゆは暖あたたかいといいなあ。

I hope this winter is warm.

今日きょうは早はやく帰かえれるといいんだけど。

I hope I can get home early today.

気きに入いってもらえるといいんですが。

I hope you like it.

Said as you hand over a present.

Something you would do yourself

Before といい comes something you can't simply decide: the weather, a result, what other people do. For something you would do yourself, the hope is that you can: the verb goes into the potential form.

Not said: 今年ことしは私わたしも試し合あいに出でるといいな。

(I hope I play in a match this year too.)

出でられるといいな, "I hope I can play".

来らい年ねんは家や賃ちんが少すこし安やすい所ところに住すめるといいな。

I hope I can live somewhere with slightly lower rent next year.

また会あえるといいですね。

I hope we can meet again.

Hope or advice?

When the verb is something the other person can simply do, and the ending is よ, the same といい is advice: "you should".

熱ねつが早はやく下さがるといいですね。

I hope your fever goes down soon.

Nobody can decide this. A hope.

この薬くすりを飲のむといいですよ。

You should take this medicine.

Something you can do. Advice.

Close neighbours

ばいい・たらいい・といいN3

Advice, with any of the three: "you could…", "you should…".

迷まよっているなら、先せん生せいに相そう談だんしたらいいよ。

If you're unsure, you could ask the teacher.

ばいいのに・たらいいのにN3

A sigh over what isn't so: "I wish it would…". といい hopes for something that may well happen.

雨あめ、早はやくやめばいいのに。

I wish the rain would stop soon.

てほしいN4

Wanting, said straight out. To a person it is a request; といい only hopes.

母ははに少すこし休やすんでほしい。

I want my mother to get some rest.

ますようにN4

A wish said like a prayer: at a shrine, on a card, to someone who is ill.

早はやく元げん気きになりますように。

I hope you get well soon.

とN4

と by itself: "when", "whenever".

春はるになると、日ひが長ながくなります。

When spring comes, the days get longer.

Check yourself

1What does this mean?

電でん車しゃが遅おくれないといいですね。

Choose an answer to see why.

2Which one fits?

来らい年ねんは私わたしも日本にほんに（　　）といいな。

Choose an answer to see why.

3Which one is a hope, not advice?

Choose an answer to see why.

More detail

たらいいね・ばいいね

たら and ば hope in the same way, and you will hear both.

明日あした、晴はれたらいいね。

I hope it's sunny tomorrow.

といいなと思おもいます

A polite way to tell someone your own hope. The な stays, and と思おもいます follows.

また日本にほんに来こられるといいなと思おもいます。

I'm hoping I can come to Japan again.

More sentences

明日あしたの飛ひ行こう機きが予よ定ていどおり飛とぶといいですね。

I hope tomorrow's flight leaves as scheduled.

妹いもうとの発はっ表ぴょうがうまくいくといいね。

Let's hope my younger sister's presentation goes well.

ホテルの部屋へやが静しずかだといいですね。

I hope the hotel room is quiet.

新あたらしい職しょく場ばで気きの合あう人ひとに会あえるといいな。

I hope I meet someone I get along with at my new workplace.

父ちちの手しゅ術じゅつが無ぶ事じに終おわるといいな。

I hope my father's surgery goes smoothly.