お金が欲しい
okane ga hoshii
The English phrase "I want money" is expressed in Japanese as お金が欲しい (okane ga hoshii).
This phrase is used to express a desire to possess or obtain money.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 欲しい (hoshii) is an i-adjective meaning "want", which is used in Japanese to express a desire for an object.
Which one should you use?
You can also use お金を稼ぎたい if you specifically mean "I want to earn money". Additionally, the expression 金がほしい can also be used to convey that you want money.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a polite version suitable for speaking to strangers or superiors, use お金が欲しいです by adding です to the end. The version お金がほしい is also considered an informal way to say "I want money".
How does it change in a sentence?
Because 欲しい is an i-adjective, you can change its form to alter the meaning: use the past tense 欲しかった to say "I wanted money" and use the negative form 欲しくない to say "I don't want money".
How do you pronounce it?
okane ga hoshii
Did you know?
- In Japanese, you generally use 欲しい (hoshii) to express your own desires, but using it to describe what someone else wants is often considered grammatically incorrect or socially insensitive. To talk about others, you would use different verbs like ほしがっている (hoshigatte iru).
- The kanji for money, 金, is the same character used for 'gold'. In ancient times, the value of currency was directly tied to the precious metal.
- To avoid being too blunt, Japanese speakers often add ちょっと (chotto), meaning 'a little', even when they actually want a large amount of money.
Examples in context
- お金が欲しい。I want money.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase お金が欲しい.Tatoeba #227268 by arnab, translation #64620 by CK
- 友達: お金をちょっと貸してくれる？
あなた: いいよ、でも僕もお金がほしいなぁ。Friend: Can you lend me some money?
You: Sure, but I also want money. - 何もいらないから、お金が欲しい。Nani mo iranai kara, okane ga hoshii.I don't want anything, I just want money.
- 旅行のために、もっとお金が欲しい。Ryoko no tame ni, motto okane ga hoshii.I want more money for my trip.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their future goals.
- 陽太 Yota将来は、たくさんのお金が欲しいな。shourai wa, takusan no okane ga hoshii na.In the future, I want a lot of money.
- 結衣 Yui陽太くんは、何に使うつもり？Youta-kun wa, nani ni tsukau tsumori?Youta, what do you plan to spend it on?
- 陽太 Yota世界一周旅行に行きたいんだ。sekai isshuu ryokou ni ikitai nda.I want to travel around the world.
- 結衣 Yuiそれはいい目標だね。sore wa ii mokuhyou da ne.That is a great goal.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
