たい
Want to Do
The pattern 〜たい is used to say 'I want to do [verb]' or to ask 'Do you want to do [verb]?'. It is used for the speaker's own desires in statements and the listener's desires in questions.
How It Works
1. Formation
The 〜たい form is created by attaching the auxiliary to the 連用形 (ren'yōkei), commonly known as the ます-stem.
- Group 1 (Godan): 行きます（いきます）→ 行きたい (Want to go)
- Group 2 (Ichidan): 食べます（たべます）→ 食べたい (Want to eat)
- Irregular: します → したい (Want to do); 来ます（きます）→ 来たい (Want to come)
2. Adjectival Nature and Politeness
Once a verb is in the 〜たい form, it behaves exactly like an い-adjective. This means its negative and past forms follow adjective rules:
- Negative: 〜たくない (Don't want to)
- Past: 〜たかった (Wanted to)
- Past Negative: 〜たくなかった (Didn't want to)
To make the sentence polite, simply add です after the 〜たい form (e.g., 行きたいです).
3. Subjectivity and Perspective
In Japanese, stating the internal feelings of others is generally avoided in direct declarative statements. Therefore, 〜たい is primarily used for:
- The Speaker (I/We): In statements (e.g., "I want to go").
- The Listener (You): In questions (e.g., "Do you want to go?").
To talk about what a third person wants in a statement, you should use patterns like 〜たがる (based on observation) or 〜そう (looks like).
4. Particle Usage
While the object of a verb usually takes を, when using 〜たい, the particle が is often used to emphasize the object of the desire. However, が can ONLY replace the direct object marker を. It cannot replace other particles like に, へ, or と.
- Correct: 水を飲みたい (みずをのみたい) / 水が飲みたい (みずがのみたい)
- Correct: 学校に行きたい (がっこうにいきたい)
- Incorrect: 学校が行きたい (がっこうがいきたい)
Examples (5)
- 日本に行きたいです。
I want to go to Japan.
Word by Word: Japan to want-to-go is.
- 今日は何もしたくないです。
I don't want to do anything today.
Word by Word: Today as-for, anything do-not-want-to is.
The negative form of たい is たくない, following い-adjective rules.
- 昨日はお寿司が食べたかったです。
I wanted to eat sushi yesterday.
Word by Word: Yesterday as-for, sushi (subject) eat-wanted-to is.
The past tense is formed by changing the final い to かった. Note the use of が for the object.
- 何が食べたいですか？
What do you want to eat?
Word by Word: What (subject) eat-want-to is-it?
While たい is subjective for statements, it is the standard way to ask the listener (you) about their desires in a question.
- 新しい車を買いたいと思っています。
I am thinking that I want to buy a new car.
Word by Word: New car (object) buy-want-to (quotation) am-thinking.
Combining たい with と思っている (thinking that...) makes the expression of desire sound less blunt.
Common Mistakes
Using 〜たい for third-person subjects directly.
田中さんはお茶を飲みたいです。田中さんはお茶を飲みたがっています。You cannot know for certain what Tanaka-san wants internally. Use 〜たがっている to describe his observable desire.
Using 〜たい to invite someone to do something.
一緒に映画を見たいですか？一緒に映画を見ませんか？Asking 'Do you want to...?' using 〜たい can sound too direct or pushy. Using the negative question form 〜ませんか is the standard polite way to invite someone.
Incorrect past tense conjugation.
行きたいでした。行きたかったです。Because 〜たい functions as an い-adjective, you must use the adjectival past form (〜たかった) rather than adding でした to the dictionary form.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To express desire using 'たい', you must first know how to derive the verb stem from the 'ます' form. Additionally, because 'たい' forms function grammatically as 'い-adjectives', understanding adjective behavior is essential for changing 'want to' into 'don't want to' or 'wanted to'.
- ます形Polite Verb Ending
The 'たい' suffix is attached to the stem of the 'ます' form of verbs.
Level 1 - い-adjectives
Once a verb is conjugated into the 'たい' form, it behaves grammatically like an 'い-adjective' for negation and tense.
Level 1 - をObject Marker
The object of the desire is often marked with the 'を' particle, similar to standard transitive verb sentences.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- たがるWant to (Others)
Used instead of 〜たい when describing the desires of a third person based on their behavior.
Level 2 - ほしいWant (Object)
Used to express wanting a physical object (noun), whereas 〜たい is used for wanting to perform an action (verb).
Level 2 - てほしいWant Someone to Do
Used when you want someone else to perform an action, rather than wanting to do it yourself.
Level 2 - ませんかWon't You?
The preferred polite way to invite someone to do something, rather than asking if they 'want' to do it with 〜たい.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice たい in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Japanese lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
