なりたい
naritai
The Japanese phrase for "I want to be" is なりたい (naritai).
The phrase なりたい is used to express a desire to become a certain type of person or reach a specific profession. This phrase is used both for professions (e.g., wanting to be a doctor) and for changing one's state or character (e.g., wanting to be stronger or prettier).
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the negative desire "do not want to be", you use the form なりたくない.
How do you pronounce it?
naritai
Did you know?
- When talking about someone else's desire to be something, なりたい cannot be used because you cannot technically 'feel' another person's internal want. Instead, speakers use なりたがっている, which describes the outward signs of wanting to become something.
- While なりたい expresses a personal wish, Japanese people often use the phrase なりたいと思っています to soften the statement. This literally means 'I am thinking that I want to be', making the desire sound more humble and less demanding.
- The ending たい in なりたい is an auxiliary adjective. This means that while it looks like a verb, it actually follows the grammar rules of adjectives in certain complex sentence structures.
Examples in context
- 狼になりたい。I want to be a wolf.This sentence shows how to express a desire to be an animal using なりたい.Tatoeba #12835210 by KK_kaku_, translation #12834546 by Lumi_alt
- 可愛くなりたい。I want to be pretty.This sentence shows how to express a desire to change a physical or character state using なりたい.Tatoeba #3710891 by tommy_san, translation #9365988 by DJ_Saidez
- お酒強くなりたい。I want to be able to hold my liquor better.This sentence shows how to express a desire to improve a personal ability using なりたい.Tatoeba #3710893 by tommy_san, translation #6886092 by tripbeetle
- 72 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their future dreams.
- 大翔 Hiroto美咲は将来、何になりたい？Misaki wa shourai, nani ni naritai?Misaki, what do you want to be in the future?
- 美咲 Misaki私は先生になりたいな。Watashi wa sensei ni naritai na.I want to be a teacher.
- 大翔 Hirotoいい考えだね。大翔は医者になりたい。Ii kangae da ne. Hiroto wa isha ni naritai.That's a good idea. I want to be a doctor.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔ならきっといい医者になれるよ。Hiroto nara kitto ii isha ni nareru yo.I'm sure you can become a great doctor, Hiroto.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
