たい
Want to do
Structure
Verb［stem］+ たくない
Verb［stem］+ た かった
Verb［stem］+ たくなかった
Explanation
The auxiliary verb たい is used to express your own desire to perform an action. To form this, you attach たい to the stem of a verb, which is the same form that you would attach ます to.
- 週末は映画が見たい。This weekend, I want to watch a movie.
- 友達と日本語を習いたい。I want to learn Japanese with my friend.
When using たい, the object of your desire can be marked with either を or が. Using が tends to place more emphasis on the thing that you want. Since たい functions like an い-Adjective, it can be conjugated into its negative, past, and past-negative forms.
- 宿題はしたくない。I don't want to do homework.
- 日本に行きたかった。I wanted to go to Japan.
- 昔は漢字を勉強したくなかった。A long time ago, I didn't want to study kanji.
たい should only be used to express your own personal desires, or when asking another person about theirs. You cannot use it to assume what a third person might want, unless you are quoting them or asking them a direct question.
- 何を飲みたい？What do you want to drink?
- 新しい本を買いたかったの？Did you want to buy a new book?
Caution
たい is not used to express that you want someone else to do something for you. To make a request like this, you should use ～てほしい instead.
- あなたは部屋を掃除したい。As for you, I want to clean the room. (This is a strange sentence that cannot mean 'I want you to clean the room'.)
Caution
When inviting someone to do something with you, たい is not typically used. The structure ～ませんか is a much more common and polite way to extend an invitation.
- ケンさんも食べたい？Ken, do you want to eat too? (This sounds like a direct inquiry, not a natural invitation.)
Examples
映画を見たい。
I want to watch a movie.
週末、友達に会いたい。
This weekend, I want to meet my friend.
ゆっくり休みたい。
I want to rest and take it easy.
ゲームをしたいです。
I want to play a game.
夕食を料理したいです。
I want to cook dinner.
もうやめたい。
I want to quit already.
次の電車に乗りたい。
I want to get on the next train.
今日は仕事に行きたくない。
I don't want to go to work today.
一人で旅行したい。
I want to travel by myself.
日本語が上手になりたい。
I want to become good at Japanese.
映画館に映画を見に行きたくない。
I don't want to go see a movie at the theater.
本当のことを言いたかった。
I wanted to tell the truth.