「〜てほしくない」- Expressing "Don't Want Someone to Do Something"

Explanation

In Japanese, the grammatical structure 〜てほしくない is used to express the desire for someone not to do something. It is formed by combining the te-form of a verb with 「ほしくない」, and it conveys the speaker's wish or request for someone to avoid a particular action.

Grammar Pattern

Grammar Point	Connection	Explanation
〜てほしくない	Verb te-form + ほしくない	Used to express the speaker's wish or request for someone not to do something.

Basic Usage

The basic structure of 〜てほしくない is:

• Verb te-form + ほしくない

This structure is used to express the speaker's desire for someone not to do something. For example:

• 彼かれにはここに来きてほしくない。
• Kare ni wa koko ni kite hoshikunai.
• I don't want him to come here.
  

Deep Dive

Complex Applications

Additional modifiers or tone words can be used to strengthen the expression. For example:

• そんなことを言いわないでほしくない。
• Sonna koto o iwanaide hoshikunai.
• I don't want you to say such things.
  

In this example, the te-form of 「言う」 is 「言って」, which further emphasizes the strength of the request.

Comparisons and Differences

「〜てほしい」 vs. 「〜てほしくない」

• 〜てほしい expresses the desire for someone to do something.
• 〜てほしくない expresses the desire for someone not to do something.

Expression	Usage	Example	English Translation
〜てほしい	Desire for someone to do something	彼かれに手伝てつだってほしい。	I want him to help.
〜てほしくない	Desire for someone not to do something	彼かれに手伝てつだってほしくない。	I don't want him to help.

Examples

Here are some examples using 〜てほしくない:

• 母はは親おやに心配しんぱいしてほしくない。
• Haha oya ni shinpai shite hoshikunai.
• I don't want my mother to worry.
  

• 彼かれにはもう勉強べんきょうをやめてほしくない。
• Kare ni wa mou benkyou o yamete hoshikunai.
• I don't want him to stop studying anymore.
  

• あの映画えいがを見みてほしくない。
• Ano eiga o mite hoshikunai.
• I don't want you to watch that movie.
  

Cultural Context

In Japanese culture, expressing desires or requests is often done in a very indirect and polite manner. When using 〜てほしくない, it is common to include polite expressions or softening words to avoid sounding too direct or forceful.

For example:

• できれば、そんなことを言いわないでほしいんですが。
• Dekireba, sonna koto o iwanaide hoshii n desu ga.
• If possible, I don't want you to say such things.
  

Summary

〜てほしくない is an important grammatical structure for expressing the desire for someone not to do something. Understanding its basic structure and usage scenarios will help you convey your wishes and requests more accurately in Japanese.