「〜たい」- Expressing Desire to Do Something

Explanation

「〜たい」 is a Japanese grammatical structure used to express the desire to do something. It is typically attached to the stem form of a verb (the ます form without 「ます」) to indicate the speaker's wish or intention.

Grammar Pattern

Grammar Point	Connection	Explanation
Verb Stem + たい	Verb Stem (ます form without 「ます」) + たい	Expresses the speaker's desire to do something.

Basic Usage

Connection

• Verb Stem (ます form without 「ます」) + たい

Meaning

• Expresses the speaker's desire to do something.

Examples

• 日本にほんに行いきたい。
• Nihon ni ikitai.
• I want to go to Japan.
  

• 映画えいがを見みたい。
• Eiga o mitai.
• I want to watch a movie.
  

• 美味おいしい料理りょうりを食たべたい。
• Oishii ryouri o tabetai.
• I want to eat delicious food.
  

• 友達ともだちと遊あそびたい。
• Tomodachi to asobitai.
• I want to play with my friends.
  

Comparison and Differences

Although both 「〜たい」 and 「〜たがる」 express the desire to do something, they differ in usage and the subject they refer to.

Grammar Point	Usage	Subject
〜たい	Used to express the speaker's own desire	First person
〜たがる	Used to express a third party's desire	Third person

Example:

• 彼かれは日本にほんに行いきたがっている。
• Kare wa Nihon ni ikitagatteiru.
• He wants to go to Japan.
  

Deep Dive

「〜たい」 is primarily used to express the speaker's own desires and is typically used with the first person. When expressing the desires of a third party, 「〜たがる」 is used instead. Additionally, 「〜たい」 can be combined with other expressions of desire, such as 「〜たいと思う」, to emphasize the speaker's wish.

Summary

「〜たい」 is a Japanese grammatical structure used to express the desire to do something, primarily indicating the speaker's wish or intention. Mastering this structure will help you better express your desires in both everyday conversations and formal situations.