JLPT N5Everyday

たいwant to (do)

たい on a verb is "want to": 行いきたい, I want to go. It is for your own wishes, and it changes like an い-adjective.

週しゅう末まつは海うみで泳およぎたいです。

I want to swim in the sea this weekend.

次つぎの休やすみに何なにをしたいですか。

What do you want to do on your next day off?

How to form it

Verb ます-stem + たい

行いきます → 行いきたい, 食たべます → 食たべたい, します → したい, 来きます → 来きたい.

	Plain	Polite
want to go	行いきたい	行いきたいです
don't want to	行いきたくない	行いきたくないです
wanted to	行いきたかった	行いきたかったです
didn't want to	行いきたくなかった	行いきたくなかったです

The endings are those of any い-adjective: くない, not じゃない.

Saying what you want to do

明日あしたは昼ひるまで寝ねたいです。

I want to sleep until noon tomorrow.

今こん夜やは料りょう理りをしたくないです。

I don't want to cook tonight.

子こどものころ、犬いぬを飼かいたかったです。

When I was a child, I wanted to have a dog.

日本にほん語ごが上手じょうずになりたいです。

I want to get good at Japanese.

いつか北ほっ海かい道どうにも行いきたいなあ。

I'd really like to visit Hokkaido too someday.

なあ on the end is how people wish out loud.

を or が?

The thing you want to eat, drink, see or buy can take を or が. を is never wrong. が is common when it is a craving.

暑あついので、冷つめたい水みずを飲のみたいです。

Because it's hot, I want to drink some cold water.

を: said plainly.

暑あついので、冷つめたい水みずが飲のみたいです。

Because it's hot, I want to drink some cold water.

が: cold water is what you are longing for.

Only を ever changes. に, へ, で and と stay as they are: 日本にほんに行いきたい, not 日本にほんが行いきたい.

Other people's wishes

You can ask someone what they want to do, but you can't state it for them as a plain fact. You say what they show, or what they told you.

Not said: 妹いもうとは日本にほんへ行いきたいです。

(My little sister wants to go to Japan.)

妹いもうとは日本にほんへ行いきたがっています。

My little sister wants to go to Japan.

たがる is "shows that she wants to".

妹いもうとは日本にほんへ行いきたいと言いっています。

My little sister says she wants to go to Japan.

Asking, and inviting

Asking a friend what they want to do is ordinary.

to a friend

昼ひるご飯はん、何なに食たべたい？

What do you want to eat for lunch?

Asking a teacher, a boss or a customer is too blunt. People ask with the verb alone: 何なにを飲のみますか.

English invites with "Do you want to…?". In Japanese たいですか only asks about a wish. The invitation is ませんか.

土ど曜よう日び、映えい画がを見みたいですか。

Do you want to see a movie on Saturday?

Asks about your wishes. Nobody has been invited.

土ど曜よう日び、映えい画がを見みませんか。

Would you like to see a movie on Saturday?

An invitation.

たいんですが: getting help

たいです only reports a feeling. With んですが on the end, it tells someone what you are trying to do and leaves the rest to them.

A

駅えきまで行いきたいんですが、どのバスに乗のればいいですか。

I'd like to go to the station; which bus should I take?

B

三さん番ばんのバスに乗のってください。

Please take bus number three.

at the post office

すみません、この荷に物もつを送おくりたいんですが。

Excuse me, I'd like to send this package.

Close neighbours

がほしいN5

Wanting a thing. It follows a noun.

新あたらしい水すい筒とうがほしいです。

I want a new water bottle.

てほしいN4

Wanting someone else to do something. たい is only for what you would do yourself.

先せん生せいにこの部ぶ分ぶんを説せつ明めいしてほしいです。

I want the teacher to explain this part.

たがるN4

Someone else shows that they want to do something.

悠ゆう斗とは何なん度どもあくびをして、もう寝ねたがっています。

Yuto keeps yawning and wants to go to bed already.

つもりだN5

A wish may never happen. With つもり you have decided to do it.

来らい年ねん、日本にほんへ留りゅう学がくするつもりです。

I intend to study abroad in Japan next year.

ませんかN5

How you invite someone: "would you like to…?".

今こん夜や、食しょく事じに行いきませんか。

Would you like to go out for dinner tonight?

Check yourself

1Which sentence sounds natural?

Choose an answer to see why.

2"I don't want to go out today."

今日きょうは（　　）。

Choose an answer to see why.

3Which particle?

夏なつ休やすみに京きょう都と（　　）行いきたいです。

Choose an answer to see why.

More detail

たいと思おもいます

と思おもいます or と思おもっています after たい softens a wish. You'll hear it in speeches, interviews and self-introductions.

日本にほんの会かい社しゃで働はたらきたいと思おもっています。

I'd like to work for a Japanese company.

行いってみたい

てみたい is "I'd like to try": to do it once and see what it is like.

一いち度ど、京きょう都とに行いってみたいです。

I'd like to visit Kyoto once.

More sentences

夏なつ休やすみに北ほっ海かい道どうへ行いきたいです。

I want to go to Hokkaido during summer vacation.

明日あしたは早はやく起おきたいです。

I want to get up early tomorrow.

今日きょうは家いえで本ほんを読よみたいです。

I want to read a book at home today.

今こん夜や、新あたらしい映えい画がを見みたいです。

I want to watch a new movie tonight.

次つぎはどこへ行いきたいですか。

Where would you like to go next?

子こどもたちはまたここに来きたいと言いっていた。

The children said they wanted to come here again.