___が欲しい
___ ga hoshii
In Japanese, 'I want ___' is expressed as ___が欲しい (___ ga hoshii).
This phrase is used to express a desire to possess or obtain a specific physical object. Note that it is not used to express a desire to perform an action.
Which one should you use?
Adding よ to the end to create ___がほしいよ adds emphasis and a stronger tone to your statement.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that you wanted something in the past, change 欲しい to the past tense form ___が欲しかった.
How do you pronounce it?
___ ga hoshii
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use ___が欲しいです to express a desire to perform an action, such as 'I want to eat'. This phrase is strictly for wanting a physical object.
Did you know?
- Because 欲しい describes a state of being, it is generally only used to describe your own desires. To express that someone else wants something, you typically must use the form 欲しがっている to show you are observing their behavior.
- If you use ___が欲しい to express a desire for a person, such as 'I want you', it can sound intensely possessive or even objectifying. It treats the person as a physical commodity to be owned rather than a partner to be with.
- In Japanese, the word 欲しい is actually an adjective, not a verb. This means it describes the 'desirability' of the object rather than the 'action' of wanting, which is why it follows a specific grammatical pattern.
