What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of 何か, which literally means "something" and したい, which is the "want to" form of the verb suru (to do).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The standard form 何かしたい is informal and should be used with friends or family. For more formal situations, you can use ~させていただきたいです to say "I would like to do something" as a polite expression or ~したいのですが to mean "I would like to do something, but…". In an informal context, you might also use ~しようと思ってる to mean "I'm thinking of doing something".
How does it change in a sentence?
The suffix ～たい is used to express present tense desires. To make the phrase polite, you can add です to the end to create したいです. If you want to express that you "wanted" to do something in the past, change したい to したかった, resulting in 何かしたかった.
How do you pronounce it?
nanika shitai
Did you know?
- Using ~したい to describe someone else's desires is often considered grammatically incorrect or culturally insensitive because you cannot truly know another person's internal feelings.
- In Japanese culture, saying 何かしたい can be a subtle way of prompting the other person to suggest an activity without the speaker having to take the lead.
- In Japanese, you should avoid using the ~たい suffix to express your own desires when speaking to a superior. It can sound overly blunt or even presumptuous, as it focuses too much on your internal feelings.
Examples in context
- 転職をしたいと思います。I would like to change jobs.
- お休みを取りたいのですが、可能でしょうか？I would like to take a day off, but is it possible?
- この仕事をさせていただきたいです。I would like to do this job.
- 映画を見たい。I want to watch a movie.
- 明日、買い物に行こうと思ってる。I'm thinking of going shopping tomorrow.
- 何かしたいときは教えて。nanika shitai toki wa oshiete.Tell me when you want to do something.
- 今は何かしたい気分じゃない。ima wa nanika shitai kibun janai.I'm not in the mood to do anything right now.
- 暇だから何かしたい。hima dakara nanika shitai.I'm bored, so I want to do something.
Example conversation
A couple is relaxing at home on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
- 結衣 Yui大翔くん、何かしたい？Hiroto-kun, nanika shitai?Hiroto, do you want to do something?
- 大翔 Hirotoうーん、特に何もしたくないな。Un, toku ni nanimo shitakunai na.Hmm, I don't really want to do anything.
- 結衣 Yuiじゃあ、ゆっくり映画でも見る？Jaa, yukkuri eiga demo miru?Then, shall we just relax and watch a movie?
- 大翔 Hirotoそれがいいね。Sore ga ii ne.That sounds good.
