が欲しい
To want something, To be in need of
Structure
Explanation
To state that you desire an object in Japanese, you will use the い-Adjective 欲しい. The thing that you want is marked with the が particle. This grammatical structure works in the same way as other い-Adjectives when they are used to describe nouns.
- 新しいジャケットが欲しいけど、お金が足りない。I want a new jacket, but I don't have enough money.
- 猫が欲しいけど、アレルギーがある。I want a cat, but I have allergies.
Caution
Keep in mind that 欲しい is reserved for when you want a tangible object or concept (a noun). If you want to express the desire to perform an action (a verb), the auxiliary verb たい is used instead.
- コーヒーを飲みたい。I want to drink some coffee.
Nevertheless, ほしい can be attached to a verb to indicate that you want another person to perform an action. This is achieved by connecting ほしい to the conjunction particle, て.
- 友達に宿題を手伝ってほしい。I want my friend to help me with my homework.
For more detail about this, please review ourてほしい lesson.
Examples
自由がほしい。
I want freedom.
恋人がほしい！
I want a boyfriend/girlfriend!
車が欲しくないです。
I don't want a car.
私はゲームや漫画などがほしいです。
I want things like video games and manga.
持ち運びやすいパソコンがほしい。
I want a laptop that is easy to carry.
その便利なアプリがほしい。
I want that convenient app.
疲れたから、甘いものがほしい。
Since I'm tired, I want something sweet.
旅行に新しいカメラがほしい。
I want a new camera for my trip.
子供の時、あのおもちゃがほしかった。
When I was a kid, I wanted that toy.
夏になって、新しい水着がほしくなった。
Now that it's summer, I've started to want a new swimsuit. (I want + became)
日本語の勉強に、読みやすい本がほしい。
For my Japanese studies, I want a book that is easy to read.
お金より愛の方がほしい。
More than money, I want love.