ほしい

Want (Object)

Level 2Sounds Like hoshii

Use [Noun] が ほしい to say you want something. It is an い-adjective, not a verb.

How It Works

The pattern ほしい is the standard way to express desire for an object in Japanese.

1. Grammatical Structure:
The object you want is marked with the subject marker が. Even though we translate it as 'I want [object]', the literal Japanese logic is closer to '[Object] is desirable to me.'

2. Conjugation:
Because it is an い-adjective, it conjugates like one:

  • Present: ほしい (Want)
  • Negative: ほしくない (Don't want)
  • Past: ほしかった (Wanted)
  • Past Negative: ほしくなかった (Didn't want)

3. Perspective Restrictions:
In Japanese, you generally cannot use ほしい to state what a third person (he/she/they) wants, because you cannot directly feel their internal desires. To talk about others, you must use the suffix 〜がる (resulting in ほしがる) or expressions like 'It seems they want...'. Note that when using ほしがる, the particle usually changes from が to を.

4. Social Nuance:
This expression is very direct. While common among friends and family, stating your desires so bluntly to a superior can sound slightly childish. In formal settings, speakers often use softer phrasing such as 〜をお願いします（〜をおねがいします） or 〜をいただければと思います（〜をいただければとおもいます）.

Examples (4)

  1. 新しい車がほしいです。

    I want a new car.

    Word by Word: New car (subject) is-desirable (polite).

    A standard polite sentence using the particle が to mark the car as the object of desire.

  2. 誕生日に何がほしいですか？

    What do you want for your birthday?

    Word by Word: Birthday on, what (subject) is-desirable?

    Using ほしい in a question to ask about the listener's desires is perfectly natural.

  3. 今は一人の時間がほしい。

    Right now, I want some time alone.

    Word by Word: Now as-for, one-person's time (subject) is-desirable.

    ほしい can be used for abstract nouns like 'time' (時間), not just physical objects.

  4. 子供の時は、おもちゃがほしかったです。

    When I was a child, I wanted toys.

    Word by Word: Child's time at, toys (subject) were-desirable.

    This shows the past tense conjugation ほしかった.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the object marker を instead of が.

    車をほしいです。
    車がほしいです。

    Because ほしい is an adjective, the thing you want is treated as the subject of the sentence, which requires the particle が.

  • Using ほしい for actions (verbs).

    コーヒーを飲むがほしいです。
    コーヒーを飲みたいです。

    ほしい is only for nouns. If you want to express a desire to 'do' something, you must use the 〜たい form attached to a verb.

  • Using ほしい directly for a third person.

    田中さんはカメラがほしいです。
    田中さんはカメラをほしがっています。

    You cannot state a third person's internal feelings as a fact. You must use 〜たがる to describe their outward behavior of 'seeming to want' something.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

ほしいLevel 2Want (Object)

Learn This First

To use ほしい (wanting an object), you need to understand that it behaves like an い-adjective grammatically. Crucially, the item you want is marked with the particle が, which differs from the standard object marker を used with verbs.

Words in This Pattern

ほしい