What does it mean word for word?
もっと (motto) means more. 日本語 (nihongo) means the Japanese language. を marks it as the object. 勉強したい (benkyō shitai) means want to study.
Which one should you use?
もっと日本語を学びたい uses manabitai, learn, which can express a deeper or more academic wish to learn. もっと日本語を学びたいと思っています。 is a formal way to say I think I want to study more Japanese. もっと日本語を習得したいです。 means I want to acquire more Japanese skills. 日本語の学習をさらに深めたいです。 means I want to deepen my Japanese study further. 日本語の勉強をもっと頑張りたいよ。 is an informal way to say I want to work harder on studying Japanese.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
もっと日本語を勉強したい is casual and fits friends or family. Adding desu gives もっと日本語を勉強したいです, which is polite and suitable for teachers or strangers. もっと日本語を勉強したいな。 is informal and sounds like you are musing to yourself.
How does it change in a sentence?
benkyō shitai is the want to form of benkyō suru, to study and expresses the speaker's own desire to do something.
How do you pronounce it?
It is pronounced motto nihongo o benkyō shitai. The double t in motto is a short pause before the t, and the ō in benkyō is a long o.
When do people say it?
Japanese speakers often answer with encouragement such as 頑張ってください！, good luck or keep at it.
Did you know?
- The word for study 勉強 (benkyō) originally meant 'forcing a struggle' and was once used to describe the act of haggling over a price to get a discount.
- The word 日本語 ('nihongo') is composed of 'Nihon' meaning 'Japan' and 'go' meaning 'language'. This is a common pattern where adding 'go' to a country's name creates the word for its language, such as 'eigo' for English.
- Adding the particle な (na) to the end of もっと日本語を勉強したい (motto nihongo o benkyō shitai na) transforms the sentence into a soliloquy. It signals that you are dreaming or musing to yourself, even if someone else is listening.
Examples in context
- もっと日本語を勉強したいです。Motto Nihongo o benkyou shitai desu.I want to study Japanese more.
- 将来は、もっと日本語を勉強したいと思っています。Shourai wa, motto Nihongo o benkyou shitai to omotte imasu.In the future, I want to study Japanese more.
- もっと日本語を勉強したいので、塾に通います。Motto Nihongo o benkyou shitai node, juku ni kayoimasu.Since I want to study Japanese more, I will go to a cram school.
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui are talking about their hobbies.
- 健太 Kenta結衣さんは、どうして日本語を勉強しているの？Yui-san wa, doushite nihongo o benkyou shite iru no?Yui, why are you studying Japanese?
- 結衣 Yui日本の文化が好きだから、もっと日本語を勉強したいの。Nihon no bunka ga suki dakara, motto nihongo o benkyou shitai no.I love Japanese culture, so I want to learn more Japanese.
- 健太 Kentaすごいね。一緒に勉強しようか。Sugoi ne. Issho ni benkyou shiyou ka.That's great. Shall we study together?
- 結衣 Yuiいいですね！ぜひお願いします。Ii desu ne! Zehi onegai shimasu.That sounds good! Please do.
