ピザが食べたい
piza ga tabetai
In Japanese, "I want pizza" is said as ピザが食べたい (piza ga tabetai).
This phrase is used to express a desire to eat pizza.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of ピザ (pizza), the particle が (subject marker) and 食べたい (the desire-form of the verb "to eat").
Which one should you use?
Use ピザが食べたい to express the desire to eat pizza, but use ピザが欲しい if you are expressing a desire to possess a pizza.
How does it change in a sentence?
While the default form uses the particle が, using the particle を is also grammatically correct and common in many contexts in the phrase ピザを食べたい.
How do you pronounce it?
piza ga tabetai
Did you know?
- In casual conversation, Japanese speakers often drop the verb 食べたい entirely and simply say ピザが with a certain intonation. The listener understands the desire to eat based entirely on the context and the particle.
- If you say ピザが食べたい to a superior or a stranger, you may sound quite demanding or even childish. In polite social situations, Japanese speakers often soften their desires by using more indirect expressions to avoid appearing selfish.
- If you are ordering in a restaurant, using ピザが食べたい can sound like a blunt declaration of your internal state rather than a request. To actually place an order, it is much more common to use ピザをください (pizza please).
Examples in context
- ピザが食べたいです。Piza ga tabetai desu.I want to eat pizza.
- 今、ピザが食べたい！Ima, piza ga tabetai!I want pizza right now!
- どうしてもピザが食べたい。Doushitemo piza ga tabetai.I really want to eat pizza.
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding what to eat for lunch.
- 陽太 Yotaランチに何がいい？Ranchi ni nani ga ii?What do you want for lunch?
- 美咲 Misakiピザが食べたいな。Piza ga tabetai na.I want to eat pizza.
- 陽太 Yotaいいよ、あのお店に行こう。Ii yo, ano omise ni ikou.Okay, let's go to that shop.
- 美咲 Misakiやった、楽しみ！Yatta, tanoshimi!Yay, I'm excited!
