How to Say “I Want…” in Japanese: ほしいです for Beginners

You are thirsty, or you have your eye on a new bag, and you want to say so in Japanese. For things you want, Japanese has one short, reusable pattern.

The short answer

Use ほしいです (hoshii desu) when you want a thing. Put the thing before が (ga): [thing] + が + ほしいです.

Start with a familiar noun such as 水 (mizu, water).

Japanese often leaves out わたしは (watashi wa, ‘as for me’) when it is already clear that you are talking about yourself.

When to use ほしいです

Use this pattern to talk about something you personally want, such as a drink, gift, device or other object.

1. コーヒーがほしいですKoohii ga hoshii desu.I want coffee.
2. あたらしいスマホがほしいですAtarashii sumaho ga hoshii desu.I want a new smartphone.
3. このバッグがほしいですKono baggu ga hoshii desu.I want this bag.
4. じてんしゃがほしいですJitensha ga hoshii desu.I want a bicycle.
5. プレゼントがほしいですPurezento ga hoshii desu.I want a present.

Each sentence keeps the same frame and swaps only the thing before が. To ask someone else, put なに (nani, what) in that slot and add か:

This tells someone what you want. It is not automatically a request for them to give it to you.

Make your own sentence

Start with the thing, add が (ga), and finish with ほしいです (hoshii desu).

Descriptions come before the thing.

The frame has not changed: the description あたらしい simply sits in front of ほん, and が and ほしいです follow as before.

If が (ga) is still confusing, read the beginner guide to は vs が.

ほしいです vs ください

ほしいです (hoshii desu) expresses a desire. ください (kudasai) is useful when directly asking someone to give you an item.

Compare the two sentences about water. The first tells someone what you want; the second asks them to give it to you:

1. みずがほしいですMizu ga hoshii desu.I want water.
2. みずをくださいMizu o kudasai.Water, please / Please give me water.

When ordering or requesting an item, ください is often the more useful beginner choice.

ほしいです vs ～たいです

Use ほしいです for a thing such as a 車 (kuruma, car). Use ～たいです (tai desu) for an action you want to do.

1. くるまがほしいですKuruma ga hoshii desu.I want a car.
2. にほんにいきたいですNihon ni ikitai desu.I want to go to Japan.

The first sentence wants a thing, so it uses ほしいです. The second wants to do something, going to Japan, so the verb itself changes to いきたいです.

Common beginner mistakes

• Using を (o) in the basic noun pattern. Learn みずがほしいです (mizu ga hoshii desu), not みずをほしいです.
• Using ほしいです for an action. Use ～たいです instead: にほんにいきたいです (nihon ni ikitai desu).
• Treating ほしいです as a universal way to order. For a direct request, これをください (kore o kudasai, ‘this, please’) is often more natural.
• Adding わたしは (watashi wa) to every sentence even when the speaker is already obvious.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between ほしい and ほしいです?

Both express wanting something. ほしい (hoshii) is casual. ほしいです (hoshii desu) is polite and is the safer form for beginners to practise first.

Can I use ほしいです when ordering food?

People can understand it, but it primarily states what you want. For a direct request, これをください (kore o kudasai, ‘this, please’) is often more useful.

How do I say ‘I want to go to Japan’?

Going is an action, so use ～たいです: にほんにいきたいです (nihon ni ikitai desu).

Practise ほしいです

Say it aloud

Say each line aloud, then replace the noun with something you want.

1. みずがほしいですMizu ga hoshii desu.I want water.
2. あたらしいスマホがほしいですAtarashii sumaho ga hoshii desu.I want a new smartphone.
3. なにがほしいですかNani ga hoshii desu ka.What do you want?

Try コーヒー (koohii, coffee), ほん (hon, book), じてんしゃ (jitensha, bicycle), バッグ (baggu, bag), or ゲーム (geemu, game).

A short role-play

In this short exchange, the answer starts simply and then gets more specific when the other person asks what kind:

1. なにがほしいですかNani ga hoshii desu ka.What do you want?
2. あたらしいバッグがほしいですAtarashii baggu ga hoshii desu.I want a new bag.
3. どんなバッグですかDonna baggu desu ka.What kind of bag?
4. くろいバッグがほしいですKuroi baggu ga hoshii desu.I want a black bag.

Quick quiz

1. What does ほしいです (hoshii desu) mean?
2. How do you say ‘I want water’?
3. Complete the sentence: ほん___ほしいです (hon ___ hoshii desu).
4. Which pattern expresses wanting to do something: ほしいです or ～たいです?
5. How do you ask ‘What do you want?’

Answers

1. I want it / I want one.
2. みずがほしいです (mizu ga hoshii desu).
3. が (ga): ほんがほしいです (hon ga hoshii desu).
4. ～たいです (tai desu).
5. なにがほしいですか (nani ga hoshii desu ka).

Keep this in mind

Put the thing you want before が and finish with ほしいです. Use it to say what you want, use ～たいです when you want to do something, and use ください when you are actually asking someone to give you the item.

Continue learning

Build the everyday nouns you can use in this pattern with the YapaneseAI vocabulary lists. If the kana is still difficult, practise with the hiragana and katakana charts.