遊びたい
asobitai
The English phrase "I want to play" is translated into Japanese as 遊びたい (asobitai).
This phrase is used to express a desire to engage in a fun activity or a game.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb stem of asobu (to play or hang out) and the auxiliary suffix -tai (want to).
Which one should you use?
While 遊びたい is the casual form, you can use 遊びたいです to be polite or 遊びたいと思っています as a polite and general way to express the same sentiment. To express a very strong desire to play, you can use the informal phrase 遊びたくてたまらない. For a more specific nuance of thinking about going to play, use 遊びに行きたいと考えています.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the negative "I don't want to play", change the -tai ending to -takunai, resulting in 遊びたくない. Adding desu to the end of asobitai makes the expression polite, resulting in 遊びたいです.
How do you pronounce it?
asobitai
Did you know?
- If you tell a Japanese adult asobitai, it might sound strange or even suggestive depending on the context. While it generally means 'to play', using it to describe social outings can sometimes imply 'having fun' in a much more adult or romantic sense.
- The verb asobu is derived from a word meaning 'to be useless' or 'to have a gap'. This reflects a cultural view that playing is essentially time spent without a productive purpose.
- In professional contexts, the term asobu can describe mechanical 'play' or slack in a joint or gear, referring to the gap that allows for movement.
Examples in context
- 友達と外で遊びたいな。I want to play outside with my friends.This sentence shows how to use 遊びたい to express wanting to play outside with friends.Tatoeba #11102004 by small_snow, translation #8015515 by CK
- 遊びたい！I want to play.This sentence is a simple expression of the desire to play using 遊びたい.Tatoeba #11965862 by DJ_Saidez, translation #2011294 by CK
- 貴社のサッカーチームでプレイしたいです。I want to play in your company's soccer team.
- 今すごくゲームしたい！I really want to play a game right now!
Example conversation
Two children are talking about what to do during their break.
- 大翔 Hiroto陽葵、一緒に遊びたい！Himari, issho ni asobitai!Himari, I want to play with you!
- 陽葵 Himariいいよ。何して遊ぶ？Ii yo. Nani shite asobu?Okay. What shall we play?
- 大翔 Hiroto追いかけっこをしよう。Oikakekko o shiyou.Let's play tag.
- 陽葵 Himari賛成！行くよ！Sansei! Iku yo!I agree! Let's go!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
