お菓子が欲しい
okashi ga hoshii
The phrase "I want candy" in Japanese is expressed as お菓子が欲しい (okashi ga hoshii).
This phrase is used to express a desire to have sweets.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The informal way to say this is お菓子が欲しい. For a polite version suitable for speaking to adults or strangers, you should use お菓子が欲しいです.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this phrase, the particle が serves as a subject marker to identify the object of desire. This is because the word 欲しい is an i-adjective meaning "want/desirable" which functions grammatically as a predicate describing the subject's state, rather than acting as a verb like the English word "to want".
How do you pronounce it?
okashi ga hoshii
Did you know?
- The word お菓子 (okashi) is a homonym for the word meaning 'funny' or 'strange'. Depending on the context, a sentence about wanting sweets could be mistaken for a comment on something being odd.
- In traditional Japanese tea ceremonies, the sweet お菓子 is served before the bitter matcha tea to prepare the palate. This creates a specific cultural ritual where 'candy' is a functional part of a formal ceremony.
- While お菓子 covers candy, it also includes savory snacks like rice crackers and potato chips, which an English speaker would not call 'candy'.
Examples in context
- お菓子が欲しい！でも、どこで買えるかな？I want candy! But I wonder where I can buy it?
- 友達にお菓子を買ってもらった！お菓子が欲しいと言ったら、優しい人がいるかも。My friend bought me some candy! If you say you want candy, there might be someone kind enough to get it for you.
- お菓子が欲しいですが、どこで買えますか？I want candy, but where can I buy it?
- お菓子が欲しいです。お勧めのお店はありますか？I want candy. Do you have any recommended stores?
- お菓子が欲しいです。Okashi ga hoshii desu.I want some candy.
- 今、お菓子が欲しい。Ima, okashi ga hoshii.I want candy right now.
- 何かお菓子が欲しいなあ。Nani ka okashi ga hoshii naa.I want some kind of candy.
Example conversation
A girl and a boy are sitting in a living room.
- 美咲 Misakiあ、お菓子が欲しい。A, okashi ga hoshii.Ah, I want candy.
- 陽太 Yota美咲、さっきご飯食べたでしょ？Misaki, sakki gohan tabeta desho?Misaki, you just ate a meal, didn't you?
- 美咲 Misakiでも、甘いものが食べたいの。Demo, amai mono ga tabetai no.But, I want to eat something sweet.
- 陽太 Yotaじゃあ、チョコレートならあるよ。Jaa, chokoreeto nara aru yo.Then, I have some chocolate.
