欲しい
hoshii
To say to want in Japanese, meaning to desire to have something, use 欲しい (hoshii).
欲しい expresses your own wish to have something, or asks about the wish of the person you are talking to. It is generally not used to state what a third person wants.
Which one should you use?
欲しい is for wanting a thing. To say you want to do something, attach 〜たい to a verb instead. In casual speech ～たいな softens that wish.
How does it change in a sentence?
欲しい is an i adjective, not a verb, so it changes like an adjective. For example, wanted is 欲しかった. The thing you want is usually marked with が rather than を.
How do you pronounce it?
It is romanized as hoshii.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use 欲しい for wanting to do an action. Use it for objects, and use the 〜たい ending on a verb for actions.
Did you know?
- While 欲しい is used for your own desires, speaking your own wants too directly can be seen as childish or demanding in Japan. Adults often use indirect phrases or wait for others to offer things to avoid sounding selfish.
- To express what a third person wants, Japanese speakers avoid 欲しい and instead use 欲しがっている (hoshigatte iru). This form literally means 'they are acting as if they want it', because you cannot truly know another person's internal feelings.
- The word 欲 ('desire') is also the kanji used in the word for 'greed', 強欲 ('goyoku').
Examples in context
- 新しいカメラが欲しいです。Atarashii kamera ga hoshii desu.I want a new camera.
- 何か欲しいものはありますか？Nanika hoshii mono wa arimasu ka?Is there anything you want?
- もっと時間が欲しい。Motto jikan ga hoshii.I want more time.
Example conversation
Misaki and Ren are shopping for a birthday gift.
- 美咲 Misaki誕生日に何が欲しい？Tanjoubi ni nani ga hoshii?What do you want for your birthday?
- 蓮 Ren新しい時計が欲しいな。Atarashii tokei ga hoshii na.I want a new watch.
- 美咲 Misakiいいね。一緒に探しに行こう！Ii ne. Issho ni sagashi ni ikou!That's nice. Let's go look for one together!
- 蓮 Renありがとう、美咲。Arigatou, Misaki.Thank you, Misaki.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 欲しい, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
