What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of kisu (kiss) and shitai (the desire form of the verb suru, meaning "to do"), literally meaning "want to do a kiss".
Which one should you use?
Use キスしたいんだけど to imply a more hesitant or tentative desire, or キスしたいなあ to indicate a longing or a wistful desire. For a more cutesy, childish or highly informal way to express the desire to kiss, often used in romantic or playful contexts, you can use チューしたい.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The standard form キスしたい is informal. To make the expression more polite and less blunt, you can add です to the end to say キスしたいです. For formal situations, you can say キスしたいと思っています, which means "I think I want to kiss you" or use the polite expression キスさせてください, meaning "Please let me kiss you".
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that you wanted to kiss someone in the past, you change the ending to the past tense: キスしたかった.
How do you pronounce it?
kisu shitai
Did you know?
- The word チュー used in the cutesy version チューしたい is actually an onomatopoeic sound representing the sound of a kiss, rather than a formal noun.
- If you use the polite version キスしたいです, it can ironically create a sense of 'distance' because the formal tone may clash with the extreme intimacy of the request.
- In many romantic contexts, Japanese speakers might avoid saying 'I want to kiss you' entirely, instead using phrases about 'wanting to be closer' to be more subtle.
Examples in context
- あなたとキスしたい。I want to kiss you.This sentence demonstrates how to use キスしたい.Tatoeba #2210400 by e4zh1nmcz, translation #437047 by lukaszpp
- あなたとキスしたいと思っています。I think I want to kiss you.
- 君とキスしたい！I want to kiss you!
- 実は、君とキスしたいんだけど…Actually, I want to kiss you, but…
- 今、キスしたい。ima, kisu shitai.I want to kiss you right now.
- もっと、キスしたい気分。motto, kisu shitai kibun.I am in the mood to kiss you more.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A quiet park at night under the moonlight.
- 健太 Kenta陽葵、キスしたい。Himari, kisu shitai.Himari, I want to kiss you.
- 陽葵 Himari健太君、急だね。Kenta-kun, kyuu dane.Kenta, that's sudden.
- 健太 Kenta本当に、キスしたいんだ。Hontou ni, kisu shitain da.I really want to kiss you.
- 陽葵 Himari私も、したいよ。Watashi mo, shitai yo.I want to, too.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
