Structure

わたしは [verb stem] たい です。

[Verb stem] is the beginning of the ます form verb without ます

This structure should only be used for what “I” want to do, rather than what anybody else wants to do. Therefore, the subject/topic わたしは is often omitted.

Examples

1. にほんに いきたい です。
   I want to go to Japan.
2. しんかんせんに のりたい です。
   I want to board a shinkansen train.
3. にほんごの せんせいに なりたい です。
   I want to be a Japanese teacher.
4. にほんごが じょうずに なりたい です。 
   I want to be good at Japanese.
5. すしを たべたい です。
   I want to eat sushi. (Emphasis is on “to eat.”)
6. すしが たべたい です。
   I want to eat sushi. (Emphasis is on “sushi.”)
7. すもうを みたい です。
   I want to watch sumo. (Emphasis is on “to watch.”)
8. すもうが みたい です。
   I want to watch sumo. (Emphasis is on “sumo.”)
9. さけを のみたかった です。
   I wanted to drink sake (Emphasis is on “to drink.”)
10. さけが のみたかった です。
    I wanted to drink sake (Emphasis is on “sake.”)
11. がっこうに いきたくない です。
    I don’t want to go to school.
12. ワインを のみたくない です。
    I don’t want to drink wine. (Emphasis is on “to drink.”)
13. ワインが のみたくない です。
    I don’t want to drink wine. (Emphasis is on “wine.”)
14. しゅくだいを したくなかったです。
    I didn’t want to do my homework. (Emphasis is on “to do.”)
15. しゅくだいが したくなかったです。
    I didn’t want to do my homework. (Emphasis is on “my homework.”)

Note

• In order to emphasize what you want to do, you can swap the particle を with が as shown in the above examples 6, 8, 10, 13 and 15.
• To make it into past, you change たい into たかった as shown in the examples 9 and 10.
• To make it into negative non-past, you change たい into たくない as shown in the examples11, 12 and 13.
• To make it into negative past, you change たい into たくなかった as shown in the examples 14 and 15.

Suggested Activities

• Write and say as many sentences as you can about what you want to do, what you don’t want to do, what you wanted to do and what you didn’t want to do.