What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of あなたと, which means "with you" and 話したい, which means "want to talk".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For more formal or polite situations, you can use 話したいです。 An alternative formal expression uses the honorific prefix お to form お話したいです。 If you wish to use a more humble tone, you can use the formal expression お話したいのですが。 In highly formal or professional settings, it is better to use お話ししたいことがあります, which means "I have something I would like to talk to you about", rather than the direct あなたと話したい. For very casual or informal situations, you may say 話したい！
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Kansai dialect, a variation of this expression is 話したいねんで！
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle と (to) indicates the person with whom the conversation is being had. To express the speaker's desire to perform an action, the suffix -tai is added to the verb stem, as seen in 話したい.
How do you pronounce it?
anata to hanashitai
Did you know?
- The verb 話す (hanasu) shares a root with the word for 'untie' or 'release' (解す). This suggests a conceptual link between speaking and releasing information.
- The suffix -tai is strictly for the speaker's own desires. To say 'you want to talk', a Japanese speaker must use a completely different grammatical structure to avoid sounding presumptuous.
- In Japanese, using the word あなた (anata) to mean 'you' can often sound cold or even confrontational in a real conversation. It is usually more natural to replace it with the person's actual name or title.
Examples in context
- 先生にお話したいのですが。I want to talk to the teacher.
- 少し、あなたと話したいことがあります。Sukoshi, anata to hanashitai koto ga arimasu.I have something I want to talk to you about for a bit.
- 真剣に、あなたと話したいです。Shinken ni, anata to hanashitai desu.I want to talk to you seriously.
Example conversation
Misaki approaches Kenta in the hallway.
- 美咲 Misaki健太くん、あなたと話したいことがあるの。Kenta-kun, anata to hanashitai koto ga aru no.Kenta, there is something I want to talk to you about.
- 健太 Kentaいいよ。ここで話そうか。Ii yo. Koko de hanasō ka.Sure. Shall we talk here?
- 美咲 Misaki静かな場所であなたと話したいな。Shizukana basho de anata to hanashitai na.I want to talk to you in a quiet place.
- 健太 Kentaわかった。あっちに行こう。Wakatta. Atchi ni ikō.I understand. Let's go over there.
