How to Say “I Want (a Thing)” in Japanese | Using Noun + ga hoshii（〜がほしい）

level2 (N4)

Introduction

Want to say:

  • “I want a cat”?
  • “I want a new shirt”?
  • “When I was a kid, I wanted a game”?

In Japanese, to say you want something (a noun), use this structure:

Noun + がほしい
= I want (noun)

Let’s learn how to use this pattern and express what we want — naturally and correctly!

1. Grammar Structure

Pattern: Noun + が + ほしい（です）

  • Noun: the thing you want
  • が: marks the object
  • ほしい: “want”
EnglishJapanese
I want a computer.パソコンがほしいです。
I want a cute dog.かわいい犬いぬがほしいです。
I don’t want money.お金かねは（が）ほしくないです。
When I was a child, I wanted a toy train.子こどものころ、電車でんしゃのおもちゃがほしかったです。

2. How ほしい Works

The ほしい ending behaves as an い-adjective, and you can conjugate it as such.

TenseExampleEnglish
Presentカメラがほしいです。I want a camera.
Negativeカメラが（は）ほしくないです。I don’t want a camera.
Pastカメラがほしかったです。I wanted a camera.
Past Negativeカメラが（は）ほしくなかったです。I didn’t want a camera.

In negative sentences, the particle は is more likely to be used than が.
は often marks the topic and is used here to emphasize “As for [Noun], I don’t want it,” often implying a contrast with other things the speaker might want.

3. Important Note: Who Wants It?

  • Use N がほしい for your own desire
  • To talk about someone else’s desire, use:

[person] は／が N を ほしがっている（ほしがっています）

EnglishJapanese
Mr. Yamada wants a new car.山田やまださんは新あたらしい車くるまをほしがっています。
Nancy wanted a new scarf.ナンシーさんは新あたらしいマフラーをほしがっていました。

📝 Use を after the noun, and conjugate ほしがる like a verb.

4. Example Sentences

  • きれいなシャツがほしいです。
    = I want a nice shirt.
  • 子こどものころ、猫ねこがほしかったです。
    = When I was a child, I wanted a cat.
  • お金かねはほしくないです。
    = I don’t want money.
  • ジョンさんはチョコレートをほしがっています。
    = John wants chocolate.
Ken
Ken

子こどものころ、兄弟きょうだいがほしかったですか。
When you were a child, did you want siblings?

Yumi
Yumi

はい、ほしかったです。あなたはどうですか。
Yes, I did. How about you?

Ken
Ken

ほしくなかったです。
No, I didn’t.

Yoshiki
Yoshiki

来週らいしゅうは娘むすめの誕生日たんじょうびなんです。
It’s my daughter’s birthday next week.

Michiko
Michiko

おめでとうございます！
Congratulations!

Michiko
Michiko

何なにをプレゼントしますか？
What present will you give her?

Yoshiki
Yoshiki

娘むすめは好すきなアニメのおもちゃをほしがっています。それにするつもりです。
She’s been wanting a toy from her favorite anime, so that’s what I’m planning to give her.

5. Practice Time!

Convert these to “I want ~” in Japanese:

EnglishJapanese
I want a kimono.着物きものがほしいです。
I want manga.漫画まんががほしいです。
I don’t want makeup.化粧品けしょうひんはほしくないです。
I wanted more time.もっと時間じかんがほしかったです。
She wants new cosmetics.彼女かのじょはあたらしい化粧品けしょうひんをほしがっています。

6. FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Q
Can I use ほしい with verbs?
A

No — ほしい is only for wanting nouns (things). To express “I want to do ~” (a verb), use the structure V-stem + たい (e.g., 食べたい = want to eat, 行きたい = want to go). We never say 食べる ほしい です。

Q
What if I want to ask someone “Do you want (this)”?
A

You can use the question form of ほしい with が:
これがほしいですか？ (Kore ga hoshii desu ka?) = Do you want this?
新しい自転車がほしいですか？ (Atarashii jitensha ga hoshii desu ka?) = Do you want a new bicycle?

Q
In negative sentences (〜ほしくない), the particle often changes from 「が」 to 「は」. Why is this?
A

This change is not a strict rule specific to ほしい, but a common pattern when the object of a negative adjective becomes the topic of the sentence. Using 「は」 marks the noun as the topic, often implying a contrast. For example, 「お金はほしくないです」 (Okane wa hoshiku nai desu) emphasizes “As for money, I don’t want that” and can subtly suggest that there are other things you might want. While 「お金がほしくないです」 is also grammatically correct, 「は」 is very frequently used in negative statements with adjectives like ほしくない.

Q
What is the difference between 「〜がほしい」 and 「〜てほしい」?
A

These are related but distinct patterns using forms derived from ほしい and the verb 見る (miru), respectively:

〜がほしい (Noun + がほしい): Means “I want (a noun)“. Refers to your desire to possess or have a thing. Example: 新しい車がほしいです。(Atarashii kuruma ga hoshii desu.) = I want a new car.

〜てほしい (V-てform + ほしい): Means “I want someone else to do (a verb)“. Refers to your desire for another person (or sometimes something like the weather) to perform an action. Example:
友達に手伝ってほしいです。(Tomodachi ni tetsudatte hoshii desu.) = I want my friend to help me.
明日晴れてほしいです。(Ashita harete hoshii desu.) = I want it to be sunny tomorrow.

Q
Can I use 「〜がほしい」 to talk about wanting abstract things like “peace,” “freedom,” or “courage”?
A

Yes, absolutely. 「〜がほしい」 can be used for both concrete, physical objects and abstract concepts.

  • もっと自由な時間がほしいです。(Motto jiyuu na jikan ga hoshii desu.) = I want more free time.
  • 成功するために勇気がほしいです。(Seikou suru tame ni yuuki ga hoshii desu.) = I want courage in order to succeed.
Q
Section 3 explains using 「〜ほしがっている」 for other people. Can I use 「〜ほしがっています」 to talk about myself wanting something?
A

No, you should not use 「〜ほしがっている」 or 「〜ほしがります」 to talk about your own desires. 「〜たがる / 〜たがっている」 forms (like ほしがる) are used by the speaker to describe the outward appearance or manifestation of someone else’s emotions, desires, or physical states, not their own direct feelings. To express your own desire for a noun, you must use 「〜がほしい」.

7. Conclusion

Now you can:

✅ Use がほしい to express your wants
✅ Conjugate ほしい in present, negative, and past
✅ Use ほしがる to describe someone else’s desires

🎯 Try this:
Write 3 sentences about things you want now, and 2 things you wanted as a child — in Japanese!

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