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~たい I want to ~

~たい I want to ~

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 たべたい です
    I want to eat sushi. (Emphasis is on “to eat.”)
  6. すし たべたい です
    I want to eat sushi. (Emphasis is on “sushi.”)
  7. すもう みたい です
    I want to watch sumo. (Emphasis is on “to watch.”)
  8. すもう みたい です
    I want to watch sumo. (Emphasis is on “sumo.”)
  9. さけ のみたかった です
    I wanted to drink sake (Emphasis is on “to drink.”)
  10. さけ 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 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 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 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.

One thought on “~たい I want to ~

  1. Reply
    ~たいものだ/~たいものです | EasyJapaneseE
    13 September 2021 at 8:02 am

    […] ~たい(です) is used to express what I want to do. Today’s expression ~たいものだ/~たいものです is a variation of ~たい(です) but it is used for a wish that is difficult to fulfill or something you have longed for for a long time. ~たいものだ/~たいものです cannot be used for a simple or direct wish. […]

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