G18 · Wanting: 〜たい

Before you start

The sentences only use words you already know from hiragana, katakana and the beginner level.

This lesson assumes what you saw in the earlier ones. If something feels shaky, go back to it:

• G01build sentences with は and です
• G02ask and answer
• G03say what something is not
• G04say whose something is
• G05point at things and ask what they are
• G06say «also»
• G07say what you do
• G08say no and talk about the past
• G09say where you go
• G10say where you do something
• G11describe things and say they aren't
• G12describe with な-adjectives and before a noun
• G13say what there is and where
• G14ask and say where something is
• G15talk about what was
• G16ask politely
• G17say what is happening now

What you learn

〜たいです

• たいwant to

たい attaches to the ます stem (のみ + たい) and behaves like an い-adjective: のみたいです. It is for what the speaker wants; asking others with it can sound blunt.

• みずを のみたいです。mizu o nomitai desu.I want to drink water.
• えいがを みたいです。eiga o mitai desu.I want to watch a film.
• にほんに いきたいです。nihon ni ikitai desu.I want to go to Japan.
• パンを たべたいです。pan o tabetai desu.I want to eat bread.
• コーヒーを のみたいですか。koohii o nomitai desu ka.Do you want some coffee?
• にほんごを はなしたいです。nihongo o hanashitai desu.I want to speak Japanese.

Practice

A short text written only with the kana and grammar you already know. Read it and answer.