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Read Japanese, beautifully.

N5

Wanting to Do: 〜たい

About 9 minutes · written and reviewed by Haruki Yamamoto

Section 1 of 3

Core Pattern

Use the verb stem + たいです to say you want to do something. This is a personal expression and is especially common with travel, food, hobbies, and weekend plans.

  1. Target signal

    日本へ いきたいです。

    I want to go to Japan.

    〜たいです expresses the speaker's own desire.

    Vocabulary notes
    たい〜たい
    want to do
    です
    to be (polite); is; am; are
    日本にほん
    Japan

  2. Compare in context

    すしを たべたいです。

    I want to eat sushi.

    The object still uses を with the たい form.

    Vocabulary notes
    たい〜たい
    want to do
    すし
    sushi
    です
    to be (polite); is; am; are

  3. Compare in context

    きょうは はやく ねたいです。

    I want to sleep early today.

    Time words like きょう make the desire concrete.

    Vocabulary notes
    きょう
    today
    たい〜たい
    want to do
    です
    to be (polite); is; am; are

Section 2 of 3

How to Build It

Start from the ます-stem: たべます → たべたい, のみます → のみたい, いきます → いきたい. The object is often marked with を, just as in the base verb sentence.

  1. Target signal

    本を よみたいです。

    I want to read a book.

    Start from the ます-stem: よみ → よみたい.

    Vocabulary notes
    みたい
    like; similar to
    たい〜たい
    want to do
    です
    to be (polite); is; am; are

  2. Preview

    友だちに あいたいです。

    I want to meet a friend.

    あいたい takes に with the person you want to meet.

    Vocabulary notes
    友だちともだち
    friend
    たい〜たい
    want to do
    いた
    was there

  3. Preview

    えいがを みたいです。

    I want to watch a movie.

    みたい here is the たい form of みる, not みたいです.

    Vocabulary notes
    えいが
    movie
    みたい
    like; similar to
    たい〜たい
    want to do

Section 3 of 3

Reading in Context

たい sentences are common in conversations about weekend plans, trips, meals, and goals. Read the main verb first, then connect it to the desire meaning.

  1. Target signal

    しゅうまつは うみへ いきたいです。

    I want to go to the beach this weekend.

    Weekend plans often use たい very naturally.

    Vocabulary notes
    たい〜たい
    want to do
    です
    to be (polite); is; am; are
    で
    at; in; by; with

  2. Preview

    わたしは もっと 日本語を はなしたいです。

    I want to speak more Japanese.

    もっと shows a desire to increase ability or activity.

    Vocabulary notes
    もっと
    more
    わたし
    I; me
    日本語にほんご
    Japanese language

Reading in context

Read for meaning before checking the answer

Before you read

Read once for the situation. Then notice how 〜たい changes the meaning before you check the translation.

日本へ いきたいです。 すしを たべたいです。 きょうは はやく ねたいです。 本を よみたいです。 友だちに あいたいです。 えいがを みたいです。 しゅうま

Show English translation

I want to go to Japan. I want to eat sushi. I want to sleep early today. I want to read a book. I want to meet a friend. I want to watch a movie. I want to go to the beach this weekend. I want to speak more Japanese.

Contextual questions

Answer from the passage before you reveal each explanation.

  1. What is the first reading job for this passage?

    • Identify the situation and how 〜たい changes it.
    • Translate every word before using context.
    • Ignore the ending because only vocabulary matters.
    • Choose an answer before reading the full passage.
    Check the answer

    Identify the situation and how 〜たい changes it.

    The goal is to use the situation first, then confirm the role of 〜たい in context.

Guided practice

Apply the lesson in a few different ways

Work through each prompt, then check the explanation before moving on.

Activity 1 of 4Choose the best context

Which sentence means 'I want to drink coffee'?

Activity 2 of 4Fill the blank

Complete the chunk that carries the lesson meaning (〜たい).

日本へ いき＿＿＿です。

Activity 3 of 4Put it in order

Put these related examples back into the order used in the lesson.

  1. 1すしを たべたいです。
  2. 2きょうは はやく ねたいです。
  3. 3日本へ いきたいです。
Activity 4 of 4Infer from the passage

What should guide your interpretation of 〜たい in the mini-reading?

Mastery check 1/4

Which sentence means 'I want to drink coffee'?